UFHC promotes Williams to COO

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UTICA, N.Y. — Upstate Family Health Center, Inc. (UFHC) has promoted Richard Williams to chief operating officer. In his new role, Williams engages in community

Children’s bookstore opens in Rome

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ROME, N.Y. — The city of Rome just got its second new bookstore in less than a year, but the newest shop, Circle Time Books & More, focuses on the city’s youngest readers. “I think every child should have a bedtime story,” says Teri Smith, who opened the shop with her husband Richard. “I want

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ROME, N.Y. — The city of Rome just got its second new bookstore in less than a year, but the newest shop, Circle Time Books & More, focuses on the city’s youngest readers.

“I think every child should have a bedtime story,” says Teri Smith, who opened the shop with her husband Richard. “I want to get parents to connect with their kids with a book.”

Her store at 401 N. James St., which celebrated its grand opening on Aug. 5, is filled with books and a selection of toys for kids ages 12 and under.

The idea for the store emanated from Smith’s 40 years of experience providing daycare services, and the name was inspired by the circle time she holds for her young charges. “Kids like to read, but kids aren’t reading anymore,” Smith says, noting that she hopes to change that.

Circle Time Books & More carries numerous books that come with a stuffed animal, including many from Slumberkins, so that children can have a tactile experience while reading or having someone read to them. According to the Slumberkins website, the snuggly items that come with the books help provide security and comfort, support emotional regulation, and help inspire imagination.

Circle Time also stocks the Barefoot Books brand, which is typically only sold through home parties, but is available in select stores. “I like the process they go through in choosing what books to get,” Smith says of the company. The store also stocks a selection of Christian books and books in Spanish.

Smith is leasing about 800 square feet for the store. She and her husband currently are the only employees, but Smith hopes to have their grandchildren help out. Friends and family are also available to help as needed, Smith notes.

It took about two months to get the space ready to open and about $20,000, a personal investment, to launch the business, she says.

“We put a lot of thought into what is in here,” Smith says. From hand puppets to sensory dough, all the toys have a purpose.

Smith believes the quality of merchandise and the personal touch Circle Time offers will help it compete with online retailers and large bookstore chains.

“If you come in here, we can guide you to something,” she says. Along with a personalized experience, she wants to make it an adventure for children to visit the store and pick out a new book.

Smith continues to provide daycare services, so the stores hours remain limited at this time. Circle Time Books & More is open Tuesday through Friday from 2-6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Just like the store’s name says, Smith hopes to soon offer circle time there, either inside the store or on the lawn next door during nice weather. Smith hopes one of the books the store will be able to feature soon is one she is writing with her sister Corri Lenaghen about “Opal the goat.”

Circle Time does not compete with Keaton & Lloyd Bookshop, which opened in Rome in October 2021. That store caters to teens and adults.

Bower fulfills dream with Eagle Metalcraft purchase

Manufacturing & Engineering, Small Business, Subscriber Only

EAST SYRACUSE — For Michael Bower, those words by Robert Frost could not be more descriptive of his entrepreneurial journey. Bower was born in Arkansas on a farm and grew up without many of the civilized things we take for granted. There was no running water or bathroom on the farm. It was where he

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Bower enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served for four years. Following his Marine Corps service, he obtained a physics degree from Kent State University and over time, obtained a master’s degree in engineering from the University of South Florida. Both were great accomplishments for a man who never read books as a child in Arkansas. During his professional career, Bower worked in a variety of operational management roles for both Eaton Corporation and United Technologies Corporation (UTC), but he knew he wanted more. He knew he wanted to purchase and run his own business.

In February 2020, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bower’s journey began. Michael did an internet search for business help in Central New York. He happened to come across the Onondaga Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and decided to reach out. He was eventually assigned to work with me and that was the beginning of a journey that would span more than two years.

During my initial conversations with Michael, he made it clear that his goal was to acquire and run his own business. As Michael and the SBDC began exploring opportunities that were available in the Central New York area, he noticed a general manager position at Eagle Metalcraft, Inc. of East Syracuse, advertised on the MACNY, The Manufacturers Association web site.

The company was founded in 1953 as the Eagle Manufacturing Company, primarily as a welding shop. The business had evolved over time to include precision sheet-metal fabrications. While working for Eagle Metalcraft wasn’t going to directly help him achieve his goal, it was a position in which Michael knew he could provide value because of his education and practical experience.

He started working at Eagle Metalcraft in June 2020 as its general manager during a period when the pandemic had adversely affected sales for many companies including this business. Even though sales bottomed out in his first month of employment with the company, Bower “rolled up his sleeves” and began to apply his practical knowledge of engineering and manufacturing to the existing processes at the company. From that point forward, sales improved incrementally every month. In the midst of working long days to improve sales and net margin, he and the owner of the company [Jim Helmer] spoke about the possibility of Michael eventually purchasing the business.

As poet Robert Frost also said, “By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work 12 hours a day.” That quote would certainly prove true for Michael Bower. Following many months of due diligence between the two parties, [Bower and Helmer] would come to an agreement and eventually close on the transaction in February 2022, which would change the course of Michael’s life. Bower worked with the SBDC and its network of resources along with Citizen’s Bank to finalize the change of ownership.

Since he began working for Eagle Metalcraft two years ago, Bower has helped double sales and double the workforce at the precision metal component company based at 3550 Burnet Ave. in the village of East Syracuse.

While interviewing Michael for the story, he told me how much he loved the employees. “These employees care about this company. They are cost conscious and quality driven,” Bower said.

Prior to purchasing Eagle Metalcraft and while serving as the general manager, he noticed that there were skills that were being underutilized. Michael wanted to create a climate at the company that was less transactional and make it a place where people wanted to work. He’s given the employees opportunity to be successful and “everyone has stepped up.”

“I want to motivate our employees, so they can share in the success of the company while holding myself accountable to them,” Bower said. “But I couldn’t have done this without the Onondaga SBDC and Mark. They helped me with the business valuation, creation of a business plan and construction of the financial projections for external funding.”

Bower continued, “Mark and I have been lockstep for over two years. He has served as a mentor, coach, and was completely invested in my success. He’s been encouraging and supportive in helping me through my journey.”

Michael knew what Robert Frost was talking about when he said, “The best way out is always through.” Michael went through and came out on the other side, becoming the owner of a business that provides value to the employees, the Central New York community and to himself. He truly believes that the Central New York community has an “entrepreneurial heartbeat” and he wants Eagle Metalcraft to be a big part of that landscape. Let’s just hope Michael doesn’t have to work 12-hour days forever as part of that process.

Business Advisor’s Tip: Anthony Robbins was quoted as saying “There is a powerful driving force inside every human being that, once unleashed, can make any vision, dream, or desire a reality.” There are many ways to approach making a business dream that reality. One effective way is to become an employee of the company. That provides you with an “insider’s view” of the key components of the business that would directly affect your decision and impact your career.

Mark Pitonzo is a state-certified business advisor at the Onondaga SBDC’s satellite office located at Onondaga Community College @Liverpool. Contact him at m.j.pitonzo2@sunyocc.edu

SUNY Oswego to host next small-business training class in mid-September

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OSWEGO, N.Y. — SUNY Oswego’s Business Resource Center will host a training class in mid-September for those interested in expanding or starting a small business in Oswego County. The small-business training classes will be held Sept. 12 through Sept. 16, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm; and Sept. 19 and 20, also from 5:30 pm

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Rheonix Laboratories launches in Lansing

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Offers COVID-19 PCR testing LANSING, N.Y. — Rheonix Laboratories LLC in Lansing is a CLIA-certified clinical laboratory that recently opened and will initially offer COVID-19 PCR testing. Rheonix Inc. of Ithaca on Aug. 1 announced the lab’s opening. Rheonix is a manufacturer of a highly advanced microfluidic molecular testing platform. CLIA is short for clinical

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Offers COVID-19 PCR testing

LANSING, N.Y. — Rheonix Laboratories LLC in Lansing is a CLIA-certified clinical laboratory that recently opened and will initially offer COVID-19 PCR testing.

Rheonix Inc. of Ithaca on Aug. 1 announced the lab’s opening. Rheonix is a manufacturer of a highly advanced microfluidic molecular testing platform. CLIA is short for clinical laboratory improvement amendments, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Rheonix is headquartered at 10 Brown Road in the village of Lansing. Rheonix Laboratories is located nearby at 30 Brown Road, also in Lansing.

“Offering testing through an affiliated laboratory is an important extension of Rheonix’s core mission: to offer molecular diagnostics to more people, in more places, more often,” Greg Galvin, president, CEO and chairman of the board of directors of Rheonix, said in the announcement. “The initial focus of Rheonix Laboratories is to provide a convenient and economical COVID-19 PCR testing option for organizations and community members. In the future, we plan to offer additional assays at the laboratory, including syndromic panels for respiratory, gastrointestinal and sexually transmitted infections.”

Rheonix Laboratories is permitted by New York State to provide COVID-19 PCR testing and results, and will be partnering with organizations — including pharmacies, schools, long-term care facilities, and county and municipal health departments — to provide “low-cost” testing to its populations. The laboratory’s COVID-19 PCR testing program enables seamless registration, sample collection, and testing for individuals and organizations, the company said.

Rheonix Laboratories says it provides reliable, rapid turnaround COVID-19 PCR testing utilizing the Rheonix COVID-19 MDx Assay. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first granted the assay emergency-use authorization (EUA) in April 2020.

The assay is “highly sensitive” and detects all COVID-19 variants of concern, including the omicron subvariants. Individuals can register online for a test using the Rheonix Laboratories patient portal. Sample types include saliva and nasal swabs. Results are expected within 24 hours after receipt of sample and can be viewed through the portal, Rheonix said.

Since early in the pandemic, Rheonix has provided COVID-19 testing capacity in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern U.S. The company has been providing COVID-19 PCR testing capacity to community hospitals and local clinical laboratories, “reducing turnaround time from two weeks to same day.” Since April 2020, U.S. laboratories have processed more than 1 million samples using Rheonix’s COVID-19 testing system, the company said.

Greater Utica Chamber gears up for Business of the Year Awards

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UTICA, N.Y. — The Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for one of its biggest annual events, the Business of the Year Awards. The awards honor members in five different categories — for-profit business with 50 or fewer employees, for-profit business with over 50 employees, not-for-profit with 50 or fewer employees, not-for-profit with

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UTICA, N.Y. — The Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for one of its biggest annual events, the Business of the Year Awards.

The awards honor members in five different categories — for-profit business with 50 or fewer employees, for-profit business with over 50 employees, not-for-profit with 50 or fewer employees, not-for-profit with more than 50 employees, and the newest category, catalyst rising business, which honors a company in business for five years or less.

The event is an important one not only for the winners, but also for the broader regional business community, the chamber says.

“It really puts a spotlight on business and gives people the opportunity to see a little bit more about an organization,” Kari Puleo, executive director of the Greater Utica Chamber, says.

The deadline for nominations is Sept. 1. Nominees must be current chamber members. All nominated businesses will receive a more detailed form to complete, and the chamber’s executive committee reviews all nominees to determine three finalists for each category.

Representatives from each finalist company are interviewed in a video package that helps people learn more about the business, its core values, its products and services, and how it has innovated and changed. All businesses are asked the same series of questions, which are once again reviewed by the executive committee to determine the winners in each category.

The process really spotlights things that might not be part of the everyday conversation, Puleo notes. “Some businesses are really committed to philanthropy. Some businesses are really committed to developing their workforce.”

Last year, people really got to see what one area business did to help other businesses during the pandemic, she says. Casa Imports, which won last year in the for-profit business with more than 50 employees category, worked overtime to make sure the area’s many restaurants were supplied with to-go containers when they all had to close to in-person dining at the height of the pandemic, Puleo says.

“I’m sure nobody anticipated how many to-go containers they needed,” she says, but Casa did everything it could to make sure its customers had what they needed.

The catalyst rising business category, added in 2017, turns the spotlight on the area’s newest businesses, she adds. It gives these new businesses an opportunity to shine without having to compete with more established companies, she says.

The Business of the Year Awards is one of numerous in-person chamber events for 2022 as the Greater Utica Chamber celebrates its 125th anniversary.

With people eager to get out and network again, the chamber hosted previous favorites and added new events this year. Members are excited about the monthly Business After Hours events, Puleo says, adding that she’s been seeing many new faces at the gatherings.

This year, the chamber is mixing together elements of the past two Business of the Year events, Puleo says. In 2020, pandemic restrictions caused the chamber to create a one-hour television special honoring the finalists and winners. In 2021, the chamber held an in-person event, but attendance was down a bit from previous years. “I think we were still feeling a little bit of that COVID crunch,” Puleo notes.

The Greater Utica Chamber will celebrate this year with an in-person event on Dec. 8 at Hart’s Hill Inn in Whitesboro but will also profile finalists and winners for a new TV special that will air at the end of the year. The special also recaps the chamber’s year that was.

Selfie museum opens in New Hartford

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NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley’s first selfie museum, Selfie City CNY, is now open in the Avenue Plaza at 4697 Commercial Drive in New Hartford. Selfie museum is a term for an art gallery or installation full of backdrops. Visitors can pose for photos they can share on their social-media sites. Owner John

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NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley’s first selfie museum, Selfie City CNY, is now open in the Avenue Plaza at 4697 Commercial Drive in New Hartford.

Selfie museum is a term for an art gallery or installation full of backdrops. Visitors can pose for photos they can share on their social-media sites.

Owner John Baker got the idea after his niece visited a selfie museum in North Carolina. “When I saw the pictures she took there, I thought that would be wonderful here,” he says.

Baker leased the 4,200-square-foot former Avenue store and spent the month of April getting the space ready with help from his brother-in-law Chris Stevens, who built a lot of the sets.

Baker’s startup costs totaled $50,000 to $60,000, which included supplies for the rooms/backdrops, the lights, hiring an artist to paint a mural, getting a logo designed, and merchandise. Selfie City CNY opened in early May with 20 different rooms and backdrops full of vibrant colors and fun props. Each one is equipped with a ring light.

Want to make it rain cash? There’s a room for that. Ever wanted to be the prize in a claw machine? You can do that. There’s a selfie grocery store, a phone booth, and even selfie jail, but those looks might not be around for long.

“Every couple of months, I’ll switch some [rooms] out,” Baker says, because he wants to keep things fresh and new. He also plans on having seasonal and holiday looks as well. Along with providing a space for people to be creative, the business also offers a creative outlet for Baker, who worked at Pacemaker Steel before opening the museum.

“I have changing rooms so people can bring different outfits,” Baker notes. Visitors can use a camera or their phones and capture as many pictures with as many backdrops as they like for a fee of $20 for adults and $15 for kids age 12 and under. Professional photographers can also use the space as a studio for the same fee.

“I think it has the opportunity to be something for so many different things,” Baker says of the Selfie City concept. His overall goal is for the museum to be a positive space where people can come in, be themselves, and love themselves. The museum is for all ages and genders, he says. “It’s something for everybody to have their moment to be free.”

With an open floor in the middle, the space can also host events and has already hosted several drag shows. People can book events like birthday parties or bachelor/bachelorette parties. Selfie City CNY can even host corporate events like meetings for companies looking to try something a little different, he adds.

Baker promotes the museum on social media including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. He’s big on word of mouth and encourages visitors to tag Selfie City CNY and share their pictures.

“Everyone who has come in has raved about it,” Baker says.

He also joined the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce and held a ribbon-cutting event with the chamber. Baker is also working on a promotional flyer. He expects business to increase as summer ends and people look for more things to do indoors.

Ultimately, Baker would love to be able to add a few employees — right now he works the business by himself — and have a full calendar of parties and events.

Selfie City CNY (www.selfiecitycny.com) is open Wednesday through Saturday from 2-10 p.m. and Sunday from 12-6 p.m.

Buy Madison County updates site to promote local farms, products

Manufacturing & Engineering, Regional News, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

WAMPSVILLE, N.Y. — Buy Madison County, in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County, has teamed up with C&D Advertising of Rome to update the Buy Madison County website. The updated digital platform can help those interested can get answers to questions about where their milk, bread, or produce originated. The updated Buy Madison

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WAMPSVILLE, N.Y. — Buy Madison County, in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County, has teamed up with C&D Advertising of Rome to update the Buy Madison County website.

The updated digital platform can help those interested can get answers to questions about where their milk, bread, or produce originated.

The updated Buy Madison County site now includes a landing page where people can find all things grown local in Madison County, per the county’s Aug. 8 news release.

Part of the county’s initiative to “step up and support” its agriculture partners also involves improving the current Buy Madison County program. Buy Madison County first launched in 2012, and since then, has helped “create connections” between the county’s local businesses, restaurants, and farms.

Now, Buy Madison County has created a “one stop shop” for people to learn more about the county’s farms, the products and services they provide and grow, and create a “Buy Madison County” brand.

The website, www.buymadisoncountyny.com, has a landing page for the agriculture industries within Madison County. People can use the site to search for farms by product or services. As of Aug. 8, the site listed 25 farms but “many more” are to follow, per the release.

Madison County contends that “our world is more than ever reliant on the internet,” and many of those in the agriculture business “do not have time or the ability to keep up with a website, even a Facebook page.” The Buy Madison County website provides these farms the ability to have a digital presence.

Consumers can find out the name of a farm, where it is located, what some of its top products are, and where they can purchase those products, such as yogurt or butter made from milk generated from a Madison County dairy.

The county said, “Buy Madison County is more than just a website. It is a brand, a way of life, it is who we are here in Madison County. We want people to know when they buy maple syrup for their pancakes, why not get it from Many Maples in Georgetown, it is delicious, was tapped by Madison County farmers and processed here. Or if you are in the market for some fresh vegetables, check out Hartwood Farm, in Chittenango. It is as simple as looking for the Buy Madison County Grown Local stickers and signs when you are shopping.”

Madison County says it hopes is to have an increasing number of its agriculture producers using the Buy Madison County brand and maintaining a presence on the website as it builds awareness of this campaign. In addition to area farms, the county also hopes to build profiles for businesses in additional sectors, such as manufacturing, restaurants, and soap shops.

Support for farming

Madison County is a 661-square-mile rural community with an “identity defined by its beloved agricultural landscape and agrarian history,” as noted in the county’s news release. In this year’s State of the County address, John Becker, chairman of the Madison County Board of Supervisors, discussed what the future of farming here in the U.S. looks like.

He discussed how large corporate farms are taking over the food industry, while small farms like the ones operating in Madison County “are not able to benefit from rising prices.”

“It is imperative that we as a county help support our farmers,” Becker contended. “You are the backbone of our community, and some of you have been in business for decades. I know all too well that the agriculture industry has changed over the years. If our farms do not survive and thrive, what will that mean for the rest of us? That is why Madison County is stepping up to help support our agriculture industries.”

Drakos Clinical Laboratories opens new HQ, lab in DeWitt

Health Care, Manufacturing & Engineering, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

DeWITT, N.Y. — Drakos Clinical Laboratories has opened its headquarters and a new laboratory facility at 6333 New York Route 298 (near Carrier Circle) in DeWitt, in the KPH Healthcare Services Inc. building. “This is a business office and clinical laboratory,” says Heather Drake Bianchi, CEO of Drakos Clinical Laboratories, referring to the firm’s new

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“This is a business office and clinical laboratory,” says Heather Drake Bianchi, CEO of Drakos Clinical Laboratories, referring to the firm’s new DeWitt headquarters. Drake spoke with CNYBJ on July 28.

Drakos is a company that started as CineMedics, a group of paramedics helping on the set of film productions, such as those that Clay–based American High has worked on in the Syracuse area.

CineMedics is now a division of Drakos Clinical Laboratories, which also leases space for a facility at 4000 Medical Center Drive Suite 108 in the town of Manlius, where patients can go to request a test. Its Manlius office opened in August 2021, while the company was initially operating as CineMedics.

Drakos can test for COVID-19, flu, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), influenza A, influenza B, norovirus, and monkeypox.

In DeWitt, the lab opened July 12 but the company had been using the space for administrative functions since January, according to Drake.

Outside New York state, Drakos also has offices in Atlanta, San Diego, and would like to open a location in the Boston area as well. The company owns three large mobile units and 10 smaller ones, which are operating at various projects across the country, says Drake.

The firm started using the name Drakos in Atlanta around July 2021 and began using Drakos locally earlier this year in March, Drake tells CNYBJ.

The firm has grown from three to 42 employees, including about 20 who work at the local office. Drakos has a mix of both full and part-time employees.

“We’ve maintained running on internally generated funds the entirety of the time,” says Drake, noting that she would describe the business as “profitable.”.

She has applied for certification as a woman-owned business enterprise, which is pending approval.

Prior to working on medical and safety support with film productions, Drake was a paramedic with Rural/Metro Corp., which American Medical Response acquired in 2015.

Drake says her company’s mission is to offer the mobile service it’s been providing for film productions to the general public as well.

“Parents with kids who need somebody to come to their house instead of going to the doctor. Folks that would like to enjoy the benefits of aging in place. Cancer patients that should not be going to a clinic. We can come to you,” says Drake. The goal is “to be able to bring a comprehensive mobile, integrated health solution to not just movies but to everybody.”

Starting CineMedics

Drake had formed the group that would become CineMedics in 2017 to work with film-production crews. It started with three people and eventually grew to seven. CineMedics became an official business in August 2020.

“COVID accelerated the formalization of the company because we knew that when we were designing a set of protocols and advising in risk mitigation and starting a laboratory that was higher level of liability than we wanted to incur personally, so we formalized the business to create that separation,” says Drake.

The group was working with Clay–based film-production company American High. It was collaborating with Hulu, which had a film called “Plan B” that was scheduled to begin filming in early March 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic was beginning to redefine life in the U.S.

A few months later, Drake’s mentor from Hulu asked her if she could find a way to get everyone back to work quickly but safely.

“We had been working with them as medical resources and risk-mitigation experts and he knew my background in molecular DNA analysis from [Syracuse University],” says Drake.

She told her mentor from Hulu that those involved would need screening before they could come into the workplace.

“We came up with a set of protocols that got them back to work quickly but it was integral to having PCR testing available on an as-needed basis but on site. Nobody was doing that at the time,” she notes.

It would require bringing clinical instrumentation to the job site so those involved with film production could be screened and work safely. In most cases, the equipment used in laboratories usually never moves, she adds.

“Because we realized that no laboratory was going to come on site to do this, I called the New York State Department of Health and [asked] what does it take to become a lab? How do you do it?” Drake recalls.

The department advised Drake that the requirements included needing a medical director and an address. Drake, who has been a paramedic for about two decades, completed the paperwork and collaborated with a local medical director.

“We started an entry level laboratory where we can do entry level antigen and PCR testing and that’s what we did,” she says.

CineMedics secured its first mobile unit, paying between $10,000 and $15,000 for a retired incident-command system which it converted into a laboratory. Drake says she self-financed the purchase.

Netflix Boston film

As the year moved along, Drake eventually took a call from a group she had consulted with concerning risk management. The contact asked Drake if CineMedics could handle dealing with a crew of more than 300 involved with a movie called “Don’t Look Up,” which Netflix wanted to film in Boston starting in November 2020.

Netflix requested the help of CineMedics in providing mass PCR testing. Drake indicated her company would need to be licensed for work in Massachusetts. Despite her concern that licensing offices would be closed due to the pandemic, Netflix got CineMedics licensed to help with testing on the movie production that included actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and Ariana Grande.

About a dozen CineMedics employees worked at the site of the Boston film project from November 2020 until the beginning of March 2021.

Establishing Drakos

Drake knew the business model would work fine for film productions as the pandemic continued, but as the pandemic dissipates, what plan did the company have moving forward?

“What we saw is that mobile-laboratory needs were not going to go away. And that we were learning something integral about laboratory work and how to make it mobile … We don’t have to stick to just COVID. We can do a lot of other things,” says Drake.

The business started adding other testing options to its menu, such as flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and others. CineMedics knew that film-production screenings weren’t going to be its long-term business model.

“It was always a mobile clinical laboratory,” she notes. “So, that’s why the name evolved.”

The company’s name, Drakos, is a nod to the little lab dragon figurines that the business has throughout its space. They were part of an “internal company culture” during the firm’s work in Boston that the lab dragons “were always watching” to make sure all employees involved were following all the rules (such as mask wearing) as they executed their work.

Locally, Drakos Clinical Laboratories chose its new space in DeWitt because it needed more room to operate. “We also needed a place to build out our clinical laboratory,” Drake adds.

Prior to the new headquarters, company employees handling the administrative operations were working from Drake’s house and her kitchen table, which can accommodate 12 people, but ran out of chairs, she notes.

Lewis County IDA, Chamber seek input on possible merger

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LOWVILLE , N.Y.— A possible merger is on the minds of officials involved with the Lewis County Industrial Development Agency (LCIDA) and the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce. The organizations say a combination would consolidate services, resources, and staff under one umbrella organization. Those interested in providing feedback on the proposed merger can visit: https://naturallylewis.com/news/merger.

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LOWVILLE , N.Y.— A possible merger is on the minds of officials involved with the Lewis County Industrial Development Agency (LCIDA) and the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce.

The organizations say a combination would consolidate services, resources, and staff under one umbrella organization.

Those interested in providing feedback on the proposed merger can visit: https://naturallylewis.com/news/merger.

The LCIDA and Lewis County Development Corporation (LCDC) brand themselves as Naturally Lewis. If the organizations decide to merge their operations, the new nonprofit would also be called Naturally Lewis, per a recent news release.

The merged organization would focus on economic, business, and tourism-development efforts for Lewis County. Both are located in Lowville.

The boards of directors of the Lewis County IDA, Lewis County Development Corporation, and the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce have been in discussions for the past six months on the potential for a merger, the organization said.

The groups cite further partnerships, collaboration, and strategic planning among the three entities since the start of the pandemic in 2020 which “solidified the need for a more streamlined approach” to economic, business, and tourism development in Lewis County.

Under a new board of directors, Naturally Lewis would retain all employees of the Lewis County IDA and Lewis County Chamber of Commerce. As part of the transition, the organization would acquire all current and future economic-development strategic priorities.

Those focuses include business development and support services; property and site-redevelopment projects; tourism development and promotion initiatives; placemaking and community-building initiatives; marketing and promotion of Lewis County “as a great place to live, work, build business and play;” membership services; and events and collaboration with communities that the Lewis County IDA, LCDC, and Lewis County Chamber of Commerce are already leading, the release stated.

The merger would also “allow for the consolidation and streamlining” of staff, finances and budgets, programming, marketing and communications, fundraising, human resources, technology and facilities to one organization.

“Our continued collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce has led to great opportunities for our business community,” Brittany Davis, executive director of the Lewis County IDA, said. “A merger of the economic development and Chamber organizations would streamline, consolidate resources, clarify staff roles, eliminate any duplication of efforts, and provide Lewis County communities with even greater opportunities for the future.”

Although the partnership is “still in feasibility and research phase,” the staff and board members of the three organizations are looking for feedback from the current Lewis County Chamber of Commerce membership, local businesses, community members, residents, and tourists, alike.

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