OSWEGO — Wired Telecom, an Oswego–based early-stage company, has captured the $50,000 prize in the 2018 “Next Great Idea” (NGI) Oswego County Business Competition. Wired Telecom provides standardized information-technology (IT) and communication services geared toward medium and large-sized commercial franchise companies nationwide. Owner Ed Alberts can use the funding to expand the business in Oswego […]
OSWEGO — Wired Telecom, an Oswego–based early-stage company, has captured the $50,000 prize in the 2018 “Next Great Idea” (NGI) Oswego County Business Competition.
Wired Telecom provides standardized information-technology (IT) and communication services geared toward medium and large-sized commercial franchise companies nationwide.
Owner Ed Alberts can use the funding to expand the business in Oswego County, according to Operation Oswego County. The organization awarded the prize during a reception held Sept. 18 at the Lake Ontario Event & Conference Center in Oswego.
“It was a great honor to present our fourth NGI award,” Austin Wheelock, NGI chair and deputy director of Operation Oswego County, said in a release. “Entrepreneurs and small business are the backbone of our economy and the building blocks for growth in our county. We believe that Wired Telecom is an excellent example of this and truly is the ‘Next Great Idea’ for Oswego County.”
The idea for the business emerged from necessity as Albert’s other businesses could not find a reliable IT service so they developed an in-house solution which proved so successful they believed it could be scaled into a business of its own. Alberts says he sees great potential for business growth with local company payroll projected to top $3 million in the next three years.
“We are thrilled to have been selected for the $50,000 Next Great Idea award and will use it to grow our team with local job opportunities and training for installers and IT support professionals,” Alberts said.
The other finalists for the $50,000 prize were SUNY Oswego graduate student Fabio Machado and his startup company, CHARTA; Matthew Cullipher, of Hope Springs; and Jake Metcalf and Kevin Spillett of Oz Angling.
Judges for this year’s event were selected based on their “local business knowledge and expertise” in the fields of operations, management, financing, and entrepreneurship. The judges included Chena Tucker of the SUNY Oswego Office of Business and Community Relations; David Dano of Operation Oswego County, Inc.; Adam Gagas of Breakwall Asset Management in Oswego; Allison Nelson of the Nelson Law Firm; George Broadwell Jr. of the Broadwell Hospitality Group of Oswego; Vinny Lobdell, Jr. of HealthWay Products of Pulaski; Carla Deshaw of Cayuga Community College Fulton Campus; Ron Tascarella of Pathfinder Bank; John Fitzgibbons, owner of the Fitzgibbons Agency of Oswego; Shane Stepien of Step One Creative of Oswego; and Dr. Sarfraz Mian, professor at SUNY Oswego School of Business, per the news release.
“The $50,000 prize was raised in partnership with local companies, private banks, business organizations, and public and private institutions that see the importance in making an investment in Oswego County’s future entrepreneurs and economy,” Wheelock said.
Sponsors included the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, Operation Oswego County, the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency, New York Business Development Corporation, SUNY Oswego, and several more area businesses and organizations.
