Lockheed Martin’s Salina plant awarded $8 million Navy contract modification

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SALINA, N.Y. — Lockheed Martin Corp. Rotary and Mission Systems’ Syracuse–area facility was recently awarded a nearly $8 million fixed-price incentive- fee contract modification to a previously awarded pact for Navy systems and associated equipment. The work will be performed in the defense contractor’s plant in the town of Salina (85 percent) and its facility […]

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Brod sells Syracuse New Times building to charter school

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The man who previously served as publisher of the Syracuse New Times has sold the building where the publication operated. William Brod tells CNYBJ that he’s also launched a company focused on outdoor publications that’s based in Cazenovia. Building sale The building that housed the Syracuse New Times publication now belongs to the Syracuse Academy of Science

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The man who previously served as publisher of the Syracuse New Times has sold the building where the publication operated.

William Brod tells CNYBJ that he’s also launched a company focused on outdoor publications that’s based in Cazenovia.

Building sale

The building that housed the Syracuse New Times publication now belongs to the Syracuse Academy of Science (SAS) charter school.

The SAS high school, located in the former Sacred Heart school at 1001 Park Ave. in Syracuse, operates near the building at 1415 W. Genesee St. where the Syracuse New Times operated.

The building sale closed Dec. 1, Brod tells CNYBJ in a phone interview. Brod is the publisher and CEO of Outdoor Specialty Media Group.

“Well, COVID has caused us to work remotely for two years. We’ve developed most of our processes to work in a remote setting. We’ve actually become more efficient working remotely,” says Brod in answering why he decided to sell the building.

He went on to say that it “no longer seemed reasonable” to meet in an office and his staff was dispersing geographically all over the country.

Brod declined to disclose how much he sold the 1415 West Genesee St. building for, and Onondaga County’s online property records don’t yet list the sale price. The building was previously sold for $300,000 in April 2010.

Brod also serves as publisher and CEO of All Times Publishing, which published the Syracuse New Times and a few additional media products.

All Times was still publishing Family Times Magazine and association journals in the Syracuse building. CNYTix.com, Data Key Communications, dba GAWDA Media and Northeast Dairy Media were also functioning in the building at the time of the sale, he added.

Those entities are still operating at Brod’s new, smaller office in Cazenovia, and All Times currently has 17 full-time employees.

Spinnaker Custom Products, a promotional products company that Brod’s wife, Lisette, owned and operated, also operated in the same building. It is a certified woman-owned business enterprise, Bill Brod notes. Spinnaker has since been sold to Cooley Group, Inc.

Outdoor Specialty Media Group

As for Outdoor Specialty Media Group (OSMG), it operates in that same Cazenovia office, a leased space at 9 Albany St. where the entity moved in early December of last year. Brod chose that space because he lives in Cazenovia. He’s the only person who works from the 600-square-foot office.

OSMG is a separate entity from All Times Publishing, Brod noted.

Brod launched OSMG in fall 2021. It handles three digital magazines, including North American Bow Hunter, North American Deer Hunter, and North American Outdoorsman.

Brod purchased the North American Deer Hunter publication from Outdoor Specialty Publications, which is located the Canadian province of British Columbia. Brod then added North American Bow Hunter and North American Outdoorsman after acquiring North American Deer Hunter in December.

Brod declined to say much he spent to acquire North American Deer Hunter and to launch to two additional digital publications. He bought the North American Deer Hunter publication from an individual who was looking to step away from the publishing business.

As someone who enjoys the outdoors, hunting, and fishing, Brod says he wanted a publishing business that focused on that activity with a customer base that was spread across North America.

“Statistics are showing that that business is growing steadily in the face of the pandemic and actually has been aided by the pandemic,” says Brod. “I wanted to get into an industry that was growing.”

The publications are available on the OSMG website, or with an e-reader, or a smartphone application, which was scheduled to launch the week of Feb. 7, according to Brod.

North American Deer Hunter and North American Outdoorsman are both published six times per year, while North American Bow Hunter publishes four times a year, he added.

About 18 people are currently working on the OSMG publications, but none are full-time employees. Some function as independent contractors, Brod notes.

Nine of the current workers were part of the acquisition of North American Deer Hunter. Most of those working on the publications are located outside Central New York, including five in Canada.

They work in roles that include writing, creativity, digital marketing, and sales. Brod says he’s hoping to eventually hire two people for roles in editorial and digital marketing.

Oswego Health honors Pathfinder Bank with Community Partner Award

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OSWEGO, N.Y. — Oswego Health recently recognized Pathfinder Bank with its Community Partner Award. The Community Partner Award is designed to honor a corporation or a foundation that “demonstrates outstanding commitment through financial support and through encouragement and motivation of others to take a leadership role toward philanthropy and community involvement,” according to an Oswego

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Binghamton Chamber honors Building BC Award recipients

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The 2022 Building BC Innovative Award, which recognizes a project, product, or service that “thinks outside the box” went to iM3NY. With a focus on clean-energy, lithium-ion batteries, the company is the first major battery manufacturer to locate in this part of the country, according to a chamber news release. The business looked at non-traditional battery materials that could provide greater heat management in a lithium-ion cell. The unique formula of iM3NY will produce a battery with 20 percent more capacity while providing a longer cycle life, higher safety, and a low environmental impact. Their batteries do not contain any cobalt or nickel.

The SUNY Broome Culinary and Event Center received the 2022 Building BC Restorative Award, which recognizes a project that brings new life into an aging building. SUNY Broome Community College purchased the former Carnegie Library in downtown Binghamton in 2012. Built in 1903, the library closed in 1999 and was abandoned for more than a decade. In 2016, SUNY Broome broke ground on a
$21.5 million renovation project, converting the former library into a culinary-arts facility. The project was sparked by an exchange of ideas between SUNY Broome President Kevin Drumm and Hospitality Programs Chair Rey Wojdat. The city’s expanding downtown restaurant scene gave the college the opportunity to capitalize on the industry and provide an educated labor pool for the growing hospitality sector, the chamber said.

The 2022 Building BC Transformative Award, which recognizes a project that impacts the entire community and fosters growth of those around it, went to National Pipe & Plastics, Inc. The company purchased the former Endicott Johnson Shoe warehouse in 2001 and then the adjacent factory site in 2018 for a new headquarters, per the release. National Pipe & Plastics demolished the old six-story building and cleaned up a hazardous-waste site before building its new $7 million state-of-the-art office building complete with a park-like yard. In the process, the firm expanded portions of Paige Avenue and Maple Street and donated land to provide extra parking spaces for the children’s park located across the street. National Pipe & Plastics also built a new road to connect directly to Route 17C and constructed a mile of railroad track.

Naima Kradjian, CEO of Goodwill Theatre, Inc., won the 2022 Building BC Individual Award, which recognizes an individual whose investment positively impacts the quality of life and job growth to ensure the success of the region’s communities and economy. In 2011, Kradjian worked with UHS Hospital, the village of Johnson City, and area cultural partners to transform the historic Goodwill Theater and surrounding area into the Johnson City Health and Cultural District. Seven blighted properties around the theater were demolished, Binghamton University chose the former Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company factory site to locate its pharmacy school and the Pioneer Shoe Box Factory for its Decker School of Nursing, the chamber stated. Growth in the district continues as UHS looks to expand its footprint and other partners advance projects in the surrounding area. The Schorr Stage, which puts on about 65 shows per year, continued to safely offer entertainment during the pandemic in 2021 through its Summer Performance RestArt Tent in the parking lot. Kradjian hopes to complete the performing arts center complex in the next five years.

CEO FOCUS: GOFCC Partnership Drives Impact in Oswego County

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The Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GOFCC) on Feb. 16] hosted its 2022 annual meeting. The event marks five years since the GOFCC became a fully integrated partner of CenterState CEO. We established this partnership because we believed we could do more together. As we celebrate this milestone, there is much to be excited about in

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The Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GOFCC) on Feb. 16] hosted its 2022 annual meeting. The event marks five years since the GOFCC became a fully integrated partner of CenterState CEO.

We established this partnership because we believed we could do more together. As we celebrate this milestone, there is much to be excited about in Oswego County and we can see the impact of this partnership. Oswego County is a central part of our region’s Build Back Better Regional Competition (BBBRC) application. There are new investments, driven in part by the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, resulting in new businesses and cultural amenities opening.

I’m grateful to the business community for their leadership and engagement, and I’m proud of the work that we have done to bring new ideas and energy to supporting our members. Our GOFCC colleagues — Katie Toomey, Sara Broadwell, and Brenna Sherman — are critical to these efforts and the best champions of this work.

In her remarks during the event, [Toomey] highlighted some of the people and projects that are changing the dynamics of the region. She talked about how this year’s theme “Let’s GO” embodies the idea that we must commit to action, and when we do, we can exceed even our own expectations.

The event also celebrated some of the community’s partners committed to driving progress in Oswego County and beyond. The GOFCC’s Small Business Award was presented to Will & Laurie O’Brien, owners of Port City Café & Bakery and The Sun Fire Roasting Co. The Impact Award [went] to Dr. Paul Stewart, executive director, Oswego Renaissance Association. The Community Investor Award was presented to Constellation. The Nancy L. Premo Woman of Distinction Award was [won by] Amy Stone Lear, owner of Man in the Moon Candies.

I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to moderate a panel discussion with local leaders Kathryn Watson, executive director of the Children’s Museum of Oswego; Mark Southwick, plant manager at Huhtamaki; and Joe Murabito, owner of Elemental Management Group. They shared how they’re innovating to keep moving forward and emphasized why it’s important for businesses to be engaged in broader community initiatives.

As we look to the year ahead, the opportunities on the horizon will require our continued collaboration, innovation, and drive, so Let’s Go. To learn more about the work of the GOFCC and how you can be involved, contact Katie Toomey at ktoomey@oswegofultonchamber.com.

Robert M. Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This article is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on Feb. 17.

Guthrie Clinic expands presence in Ithaca with City Harbor location

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ITHACA, N.Y. — The Guthrie Clinic has recently expanded its footprint in Ithaca with its City Harbor facility, a 60,000-square-foot, three-story medical office building. The Guthrie facility at 720 Willow Avenue began offering services to patients Feb. 7. Guthrie Ithaca on Hanshaw Road will remain open, providing primary care and specialty services, the organization noted.

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New York manufacturing index turns slightly positive again in February

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The Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index moved back into positive territory in February to 3.1. The index — the monthly gauge on New York’s manufacturing sector — had plummeted in January to -0.7, ending 18 months of positive readings including the 31.9 index number in December. The February reading — based on firms

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The Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index moved back into positive territory in February to 3.1.

The index — the monthly gauge on New York’s manufacturing sector — had plummeted in January to -0.7, ending 18 months of positive readings including the 31.9 index number in December.

The February reading — based on firms responding to the survey — indicates business activity “was little changed” in New York,” the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in its Feb. 15 survey report.

A positive index number indicates expansion or growth in manufacturing activity, while a negative reading points to a decline in the state’s manufacturing sector.

The Empire State Survey found 34 percent of respondents reported that conditions had improved over the month, while 30 percent said that conditions had worsened, the New York Fed said.

Economists were expecting a stronger business bounce back to a reading of 10 for the general business-conditions index, according to a survey by The Wall Street Journal.

Survey details

The new-orders index came in at 1.4, and the shipments-index reading was 2.9, signaling little change in orders and shipments over the month, the New York Fed said.

The unfilled-orders index came in at 14.4. The delivery-times index was unchanged at 21.6, suggesting that delivery times “continued to lengthen significantly,” and inventories increased modestly.

The index for number of employees climbed 7 points to 23.1, indicating “solid gains” in employment levels, and the average-workweek index held steady at 10.9.

The prices-paid index was little changed at 76.6, while the prices-received index rose a steep 17 points to a record high of 54.1, signaling “ongoing substantial increases” in both input prices and selling prices, per the New York Fed.

Firms were generally optimistic about the six-month outlook, but optimism waned.

The index for future business conditions fell 7 points to 28.2, its lowest level since the early stages of the pandemic. Longer delivery times, higher prices, and increases in employment are all expected in the months ahead, the New York Fed said.

The capital-expenditures index remained near a multi-year high, suggesting that firms plan “significant increases” in capital spending.

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

Universal Bookkeeper plans move to new office

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UTICA, N.Y. — What started out as a hobby in 2015 for Justin Miller has since grown into a full-fledged business with a staff of five and a new location coming later this year. Miller was working as the CFO of Hospice & Palliative Care in New Hartford at the time but started providing accounting

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UTICA, N.Y. — What started out as a hobby in 2015 for Justin Miller has since grown into a full-fledged business with a staff of five and a new location coming later this year.

Miller was working as the CFO of Hospice & Palliative Care in New Hartford at the time but started providing accounting services on the side to one business. Then he added a few more businesses, working on their accounting needs during nights and weekends. Before he knew it, he and his wife Beth, who previously worked as an accountant at Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Rome, were working every night on this “hobby” and knew they had a decision to make.

The pair decided to turn the hobby into a business and opened Universal Bookkeeper, Inc. first office in Mohawk Valley Community College’s thINCubator shared workspace in Utica. The space was ideal for Universal, which offers all its services remotely as well as in-person. Those services include accounting and bookkeeping, outsourced CFO services, consulting, tax preparation, and do-it-yourself payroll with Gusto Payroll software for small businesses.

Working in that space proved to be immensely helpful for a business just starting out, Beth Miller, Universal Bookkeeper’s COO, says. “The [incubator] helped us transfer our hobby into a finalized business plan,” she notes.

The Millers were the sole employees of the business for the first six months, before hiring their first employee at the beginning of 2018.

“Obviously, we were growing and ready to look for a bigger space,” Beth Miller says. Universal Bookkeeper spent about a year in the thINCubator before moving to 421 Broad St. in Utica.

By 2019, Universal Bookkeeper added two more employees and continued growing its roster of clients. The business currently operates from 2,800 square feet of leased space that includes a reception area, three offices, and a large conference room.

Since the company already primarily functioned remotely, the COVID-19 pandemic did not derail its growth. In fact, Universal Bookkeeper was able to offer even more robust services to clients by researching all the assistance out there such as paycheck-protection loans and other small-business benefits.

“We tried to step up to help our small-business owners,” Beth Miller says. “We did the research and helped them apply for these things,” referring to various government-assistance packages that were made available to small businesses.

With plans to continue growing at a “good click,” as the pandemic eases, it made sense to look for a space that will accommodate future growth, CEO Justin Miller says.

That led to the purchase of the 14 Genesee St. property in New Hartford at the end of 2021. The Millers worked with Bradley & Bradley Real Estate in Barneveld, and it took about six months to find the perfect site. Oneida County property records show Universal Bookkeeper purchased the building for $250,000 from the trust of John and Arlene Capraro. The building previously housed a hairdresser and a screen-printing business but was empty at the time of sale.

“We are basically gutting it down to the studs,” Justin Miller says. Their vision is an extremely modern office space with an open concept and lots of glass. “A space employees want to be at,” Beth Miller adds.

The Millers expect Universal Bookkeeping will move to the new space sometime this summer. The lease on their existing space ends in August. While the new space is smaller at 2,000 square feet, it’s being designed to suit the Millers’ needs. “It’s our right size,” Justin Miller notes. They are working with roi Office Interiors of Rome to design and furnish the space. The Millers declined to disclose renovation costs.

The space still allows the company room to grow, Justin Miller says, and they are hoping to attract new “top talent” employees to the firm where everyone is a certified pro advisor for QuickBooks. He estimates the space can accommodate up to eight employees, giving the business space to add three more people. The building also has eight parking spots in a lot in the rear and ample street parking for clients that prefer to meet face-to-face.

While the business’s downtown Utica location has been great, Justin Miller is excited about new prospects at the new site in New Hartford. “It’s an opportunity for us to attract and market to a different clientele,” he says.

Universal Bookkeeper (www.universalbookkeeper.com) currently works with 55 monthly recurring clients, about 400 business and personal tax clients, and provides outsourced CFO services to four hospice organizations around the state.

The Millers expect that client growth will come organically as current client businesses grow along with the addition of new clients. Current Universal Bookkeeper clients include The Balanced Chef, Center for Leadership Excellence, Nail Creek Pub & Brewery, Mohawk Valley Wellness, McGrogan Design, and Passalacqua & Associates law firm.

Bonadio Group rebrands advisory practice as Bonadio Advisory

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Bonadio Group says it has rebranded its consulting and advisory practices as Bonadio Advisory to better help clients with improving operational performance, mitigating risk, and “achieving their business goals.” Bonadio Advisory provides consulting services to public and private businesses, nonprofit agencies, health-care organizations, and government entities nationwide. “With businesses and organizations

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Bonadio Advisory provides consulting services to public and private businesses, nonprofit agencies, health-care organizations, and government entities nationwide.

“With businesses and organizations facing increasingly complex demands in all facets of their operations, our purpose is to provide actionable insights and tailored strategies that help clients achieve their business objectives,” Michael Parrinello, partner and practice leader of Bonadio Advisory, said in a release. “We are continuing to invest in services and talent to provide our clients with access to top-tier consulting across numerous industries in New York State and beyond.”

Bonadio Strategic Advisory (BSA) — the strategy-consulting group within Bonadio Advisory — previously launched in 2020. This group includes experts who provide C-level executives with “focused insights” using advanced data analytics, operational assessments, and collaborative consulting with management and boards of governance. BSA’s tools and processes “drive profitability, increase efficiencies, mitigate risk and improve operational performance,” Bonadio contends.

BSA experts specialize in working toward both short and long-term business goals “through the design and deployment” of their management-consulting services.

“Organizations of all types strive to optimize their operations but don’t always know what steps to take to get there,” said Timothy Ball, executive VP and team leader of BSA. “Through our operational assessments and data analysis tools, we are able to project clients on a growth trajectory by driving growth, improving profitability, increasing efficiencies and mitigating risks, all critical elements in improving profitability.”

Gerald Archibald, who co-founded the Bonadio Group’s healthcare/tax-exempt practice, joined the BSA division. He brings more than 40 years of category experience to BSA’s health-care and tax-exempt clients, the firm said.

Bonadio Advisory also has additional consulting practices that include investment banking/transaction advisory, which provides expertise and services related to executing middle-market merger and acquisition transactions.

The practices also include business valuation and succession planning for individuals, estates and businesses; along with fraud and forensics, which helps clients discover, investigate, and prevent fraud.

They also include FoxPointe Solutions, which provides full-service cyber-risk management services; Compliance Solutions, which assesses compliance programs from HIPAA to corporate compliance; and Transportation Advisory Services, which has served more than 550 school-district clients in 22 states.

Founded in 1978, the Bonadio Group offers accounting, tax, and consulting services. Describing itself as the largest independent provider of accounting, tax, and consulting services in upstate New York, the Rochester–based firm has offices in Syracuse, Utica, Albany, Batavia, Buffalo, East Aurora, and New York City. The Bonadio Group also has offices in Rutland, Vermont, and in Dallas, Texas.

Sullivan joins Kelberman Center as CFO

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UTICA, N.Y. — The Kelberman Center recently hired Wendy Sullivan as its new chief financial officer. Sullivan will facilitate and manage the implementation of the finance team for the Kelberman Center, directing financial activities, preparing reports, and developing policies and procedures related to the finance department. Sullivan has 27 years of experience in the accounting

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