June 2016 - Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce

June 2016
Local Student Awarded Full Scholarship to SU via Junior Achievement
Program; Second Student Receives Additional Aid to Attend University
The Greater Binghamton Education Outreach Program
(GBEOP) is excited to announce that two local students
that participated in the Junior Achievement Company
Program last fall are both receiving money to attend
Syracuse University this fall! Nancy Wang of Johnson
City High School received a full-ride scholarship to
SU and Claire Stocum of Chenango Forks High School
received additional financial aid to attend SU, thanks to
their participation in the JA program via the BOCES
New Visions Business Academy.
The mission of Junior Achievement (JA) is to prepare young people
to succeed in a global economy by providing hands-on, engaging
programs that challenge them to consider the importance of their
education, individual interests, and life skills relating to financial literacy,
entrepreneurship and workforce readiness.
Junior Achievement is proud to partner with Syracuse University, and is grateful for their on-going
commitment to youth development in the Central Upstate New York Region. The Junior Achievement
and Syracuse University Scholarship provides one Junior Achievement student with a full tuition, 4-year
renewable scholarship to Syracuse University. Students must have participated in a JA program and embody
the JA spirit, as demonstrated through their life experiences, drive, and future aspirations.
Reflection from Nancy Wang, Johnson City High School
My name is Nancy Wang and I’m a senior at Johnson City High School. At my
school, I am very involved with extracurricular activities and community service.
Some clubs I participate in include student government, Key Club, and National
Honor Society, to name a few. I also play varsity girl’s tennis and golf.
The Junior Achievement scholarship is a four-year, full tuition grant offered by
the Junior Achievement branch of upstate New York. I was fortunate enough to
interview and receive the Junior Achievement scholarship with Syracuse University
as a result of the New Visions Business Academy. New Visions is a rigorous program
designed for advanced high school seniors with refined interests towards certain
professional fields. I personally was in the business academy but there are also
law, engineering, and health academies available. For the first half of the year, the
continued on page 3
Chamber Honors Lou for 40+ Year Career at Reception
Family, friends, colleagues, from both past and present,
gathered on April 21 at the Binghamton Country Club
to honor Lou Santoni and celebrate his retirement after
over 40 years with the Greater Binghamton Chamber
of Commerce! Lou officially ended his tenure at the
Chamber on April 29. May he enjoy many rounds of golf
in retirement!
continued on page 3
Chamber Staff
2
ChamberDirectory
Directory ofof
Staff
Chamber
Staff
June 2016
ASK SCORE
Administration
Main Phone: (607) 772-8860 | Dial Direct: (607) 772-8863 + ext
www.GreaterBinghamtonChamber.com
What You Need to Know Before Buying a Business
Jennifer C onway
Yvonne G las
L ori M eyers
P resident & CEO
E xt. 330
F inance D irector
E xt. 339
Taste NY F inancial
A ssistant
Rather than building a small business from the ground up, buying an existing company
offers the opportunity to move along the path to entrepreneurship more quickly. With all
of the startup tasks already taken care of, a staff in place, an established customer base,
existing vendor relationships, and processes and procedures laid out, you have a head
start.
But that doesn’t diminish the importance of doing your research before making the
decision to buy a business. Acquiring an existing small business requires substantial
examination so you avoid the many pitfalls that befall eager entrepreneurs who leap
before they look.
S usan Kuhn
Teresa Myers
C hristine S tezzi
A dministr ati ve
A ssistant
E xt. 322
Technical
C oordinator
E xt. 315
R eceptionist /
S ecretary
E xt. 300
Communications & Membership
A my S haw
D ebby E vans
Vice P resident ,
M ember S ervices
& E xecuti ve D irector ,
GBEOP E xt. 313
P roject and E vent
C oordinator
E xt. 317
Government
Relations
B rendan O’B ryan
M anager of
G over nment R elations
E xt. 316
Carol
A rmstrong
Development
M anager
E xt. 321
Gateway Information Center
K athi Murphy Jenny A rnold K ateri S ibley
D irector
Tr avel A dvisor
Tr avel A dvisor
Route 81N • PO Box 114 • Kirkwood, NY 13795
(607) 775-0156 • info@nysinfoctr.org
Convention & Visitor’s Bureau
Judi H ess
G ina Calisi
Cassandra G reen
M anager ,
Tour ism
& S pecial E vents
E xt. 329
M anager ,
C on vention S ales
E xt. 326
S ales
R epresentati ve
E xt. 328
According to William Comiskey, a SCORE Mentor at the Southwest Florida SCORE
Chapter, “Investing in a business is the same as investing your savings in a mutual fund
or stock portfolio to secure both your future and possibly your retirement. You study and
review the past performance and the current condition and seek help and advice from
professionals on the prospects for the future.” Before purchasing an existing business, you need to get answers to some critical
questions:
Why is the current owner selling the business? Seek the truth. If the business is in a
declining neighborhood or the owner has caught wind of an upcoming market change that
will negatively affect revenues or cost structure, you might put yourself at risk of failure
from circumstances beyond your control. Uncovering the real reasons for a sale may be
difficult. Be wary and realize that smart business owners don’t often walk away from
profitable endeavors unless they have strong personal reasons (illness, retirement, etc.), or
they have received offers that are too good to refuse.
How is the business doing financially? If it has been losing money or hasn’t been
generating a satisfactory profit, you’ll want to dig deeper into the reasons why. Unless
you’re confident you can operate it more profitably than the current owner, you might end
up with a sinking ship on your hands.
What sort of reputation does the business have? When you buy an existing business,
you’re getting the brand reputation along with it. That will either work for or against you.
Turning around an existing business’s poor reputation will be difficult and could take
years—and it might even be impossible depending on how negatively the company is
perceived by customers, suppliers, and the public.
If the business has a favorable reputation, find out what has made it so. A strong
reputation based on personal relationships between the owner and customers might not
easily transfer to you. Be particularly cautious of this if the business relies primarily on a
few key customers or suppliers.
Are you getting everything you need to seamlessly take over running the business?
Find out if the purchase will include essentials such as: leases and contracts; customer
lists; patents, trademarks, service marks, and trade names; key employees who are vital to
the business; and other important components.
As Comiskey suggests, you don’t have to embark on the process alone. Consider tapping
the expertise of professionals (such as SCORE mentors) who can help you assess the
opportunities and risks of buying an existing business.
Since 1964, SCORE “Mentors to America’s Small Business” has helped more than
9 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners through mentoring and
business workshops. More than 11,000 volunteer business mentors in over 320 chapters
serve their communities through entrepreneur education dedicated to the formation,
growth and success of small businesses. To contact the Greater Binghamton SCORE
Chapter 217 for assistance call 607-772-8860. You may also contact SCORE® for person
to person counseling appointments at the above telephone numbers. If you are already in
business onsite assistance is also available. The Greater Binghamton SCORE® Chapter
217 website is found at www.greaterbinghamtonscore.org . The national SCORE®
website is found at www.score.org or sign up for email counseling at www.score.org.
ChambeReport
Chamber News
Junior Achievement continued from page 1
Business Academy ran a real company and sold stock. Our company,
Incoming, developed and manufactured charger accessories that
would prevent Apple Lightning cords from fraying. Our teacher
Mrs. Julie Keenan and our group mentors, Dave Culbertson of
National Pipe and Plastics, and Scott Weissmann of M&T helped
our company evolve tremendously and really helped motivate us to
keep going. Not only did I receive hands-on experience out of this
program, but I also formed close relationships with my classmates.
It is with great pleasure that I announce my attendance to
Syracuse University next year. I will be dual majoring in Business
Management and Communications in the Whitman and Newhouse
schools. Though the scholarship does not exclusively limit me to
majoring in business, I learned through my time in the New Visions
Business program that business management is a good fit for me. I
hope to continue my education at Syracuse University and later come
back to the Binghamton, New York area to better my community.
Thoughts from Claire Stocum, Chenango Forks High School
Junior Achievement has offered me unique
opportunities for establishing my future
in the business world. This past fall, I
participated in the JA Company Program,
by starting up the business, Incoming,
A Junior Achievement Company. My
peers and I gained real world knowledge
regarding the management and day-to-day
processes of running a company. In the
end, we created enough profit to donate
$2,000 into the community! With this
program, I was reassured of my passion in
the business world and I built respectable
relationships with two business mentors: Dave Culbertson of
National Pipe & Plastic and Scott Weissmann of M&T Bank. They
graciously taught us valuable professionalism skills and encouraged
us to pursue our dreams.
With a determined mindset and a love for business, I was excited
to find a highly accredited business college and start my future.
My parents both paid for their college education independently,
and expect me to do so as well. This certainly limited my field of
choices, but Junior Achievement opened a new door in my search.
Teamed up with Syracuse University, JA offers one senior a full
tuition scholarship. The application was rigorous and even required
a personal interview at Syracuse. I appreciated the effort put into
the application and enjoyed the process of interviewing for such a
reward, however, I was denied the scholarship. Luckily, I made a
good enough impression on the SU financial aid staff, that I was
offered additional aid. While I did not earn the scholarship, Junior
Achievement created an opportunity for me to attend my dream
school. With nearly a full tuition value in financial aid, I was able to
commit to Syracuse University for next fall!
Junior Achievement is focused on linking the business world with
education, and I was fortunate enough to experience all they had
to offer. I also have the pleasure of going into elementary school
classrooms and volunteering as a JA mentor myself. Business is an
exciting aspect of our lives, and I am looking forward to expanding
my knowledge for years to come.
Congratulations ladies! Best of luck to you at SU! We are thrilled
that Junior Achievement had a positive impact on your lives.
Chamber Honors Lou from page 1
3
June 2016
4
June Anniversaries
Fancher Appliance, Inc.
Scott’s Oquaga Lake House
Binghamton Plate Glass Co., Inc.
Brown & Brown Empire State
Indian Valley Industries, Inc.
NYSEG
Press & Sun Bulletin
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc.
Armstrong Telecom
Binghamton-Ithaca Express, Inc.
A. D. Bowman & Son Lumber Co., Inc.
Endwell Greens Golf Club
Gary’s U-Pull-It, Inc.
Horizons Federal Credit Union
Loomis Tax Service, LLC
Brian K. Mather Agency, Inc.
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Riverside Dental Associates
Southern Tier Chapter of the American Red Cross
Sherwood M. Walls, Inc.
Endicott Artistic Memorial Co., Inc.
Old World Deli
Red Roof Inn #416 - Binghamton
Rosanne Sall Advertising Agency, Inc.
Tri-Town Insurance
Don Ward’s Service Center
Air Temp Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.
Chemung Canal Trust Company
Dick’s Garage
First Congregational Church, UCC
Hampton Inn - Johnson City
State Farm Insurance - John M. Paulin
W L T B Radio, Magic 101.7 FM
311 Industries Inc.
ASRC, Inc.
Inspire Fitness
MaineSource Food & Party Warehouse
Southern Tier Sewing Center
Broome County Trophies & Awards
Giordano Dental and Southern Tier Sleep & TMJ Therapy
Griffiths Engineering LLC
Keegan Independent Agency Inc.
Lyons & Lyons
Millennium Pipeline Co., LLC
Ophthalmic Associates of the So. Tier, P.C.
Payne’s Cranes, Inc.
SUNY Empire State College - Binghamton Unit
Tier Pediatrics
Toshiba Business Solutions
New Members
K aren Gorman Agency
Karen Gorman
2 Cushman Boulevard
Binghamton, NY 13901
PHONE: (607) 204-0844
FAX: (607) 204-0847
kgorman@farmersagent.com
www.farmersinthebarn.com
Insurance (Main),
Insurance Agencies
Titan Security LLC
Carrie Kowalczyk
6305 Court Street Road
East Syracuse, NY 13051
HONE: (315) 218-0500
FAX: N/A
Sophia@titansecurityco.com
www.titansecurityco.com
Security Systems (Main),
Access Control
K risty L. McWherter
Agency, Farmers I nsurance
Kristy McWherter
168 Susquehanna Street
Binghamton, NY 13901
PHONE: (607) 765-5217
FAX: N/A
Kmcwherter@farmersagent.com
Insurance (Main),
Insurance Agencies
West Side Beer Depot
Tony Singh
334 Main Street
Binghamton, NY 13905
PHONE: (607) 217-5954
FAX: (607) 237-0642
tonysingh1224@gmail.com
Beer & Beverage Retail
(Main),
Beer & Beverage Wholesale
Petrick & K apur, P.C.
David E. Kapur
2200 E. Main Street
Endicott, NY 13760
PHONE: (607) 785-3389
FAX: (607) 785-4830
info@endicottlawyer.com
www.endicottlawyer.com
Attorneys (Main),
Legal Services
Court Street Beer Depot
Tony Singh
218 Court Street
Binghamton, NY 13901
PHONE: (607) 232-8236
FAX: N/A
tonysingh1224@gmail.com
Beer & Beverage Retail
(Main),
Beer & Beverage Wholesale
Scorpion Security
Products I nc .
Andrew Bartoszewski
1429 Upper Front Street
Binghamton, NY 13901
PHONE: (607) 724-9999
FAX: N/A
andy@scorpionsp.com
scorpionsecurityproducts.com
Security Consultants (Main),
Business Support Services
Ziebart
Robert Terboss
385 State Street
Binghamton, NY 13901
PHONE: (607) 723-4993
FAX: (607) 723-0546
ziebart6@yahoo.com
www.binghamtonrustproofing.com
Auto & Truck Protection
(Main), Auto Reconditioning
The Printing House
Jeffrey Horowitz
19-25 Chenango Street
Binghamton, NY 13901
PHONE: (607) 203-0170
FAX: N/A
jhorowitz@cevillages.com
www.theprintinghouseny.com
Student Housing (Main),
Real Estate
Thank You for Your Membership
ChambeReport
5
Convention & Visitors Bureau
Tourism Website Redesign Gives
Greater Binghamton a New Look
The Greater Binghamton Convention & Visitors Bureau recently
launched its new website designed to engage users and attract
travelers with several technical upgrades.
The content-driven visitbinghamton.org uses video and imagery to
showcase the region's strongest assets. Visitors are greeted with indepth introductions to Binghamton's great golf courses, growing craft
beer scene, world-famous spiedies, historic carousels, passion for
sports and distinction as the home of "Twilight Zone" creator Rod
Serling.
The responsive design and user friendly organization invite visitors
to take a deeper dive into the area's agritourism, arts, outdoors,
nightlife, shopping and family attractions. Video, photos and
conversational copy make each page of the new visitbinghamton.org
more engaging.
ABC
Creative
Group
created
the design,
developed
the website,
produced
the content
and provided
SEO
services.
The content also optimizes the site for search engines, making the
Greater Binghamton community, its unique culture and travel-worthy
attractions easier to find on the Web.
INVITES YOU TO SAVE THE DATE
Mark your calendars now for the
Chamber’s Annual Evening of
Winetasting, Craft Brews, Food & Music…
Friday, October 21, 2016!
A variety of local cuisine, New York State wines and
craft brews will be featured and the event will be held
at the DoubleTree by Hilton Binghamton.
Festivities will begin at 6:00 pm...
Hope to see you there!
Convention & Events Schedule
June, July & August 2016
Date
Approximate # of
Overnight Visitors
Event June 1 – 5
Battle on the Hill Baseball Tournament
200
June 3 – 4
AMVETS
300
June 4 – 5
AAU Basketball Southern Tier Flyers Annual Tournament
500
June 6 – 10
Southern Tier Police Canine Association Advance Handler
50
& Tactical Sem.
June 7 – 9 Security Mutual Life Insurance Advanced Marketing Seminar
200
June 8 – 12
Veterans of Foreign Wars 2016 Convention
300
June 8 – 10
SUNY Librarians Association Annual Conference
200
June 10 – 12 Lutheran Women’s Missionary League
200
June 10 – 12 Conklin Raiders 12 & U Summer Rumble
300
June 10 – 12
Unadilla Valley Sports Center MX Rewind Weekend
300
June 10 – 12 BAGSAI Softball Tournament College Showcase
550
June 10 – 12 NYS Public High School Baseball State Tournament
800
June 10 – 12 John Mack Memorial Crossroads GM Tournament
100
June 11 – 12
2KW Pro Wrestling
25
June 17 – 19
NDO Lady Hornets AAU Basketball
1,000
June 17 – 19 BAGSAI Softball Tournament 12U/14U Summer Kickoff
550
June 17 – 19
Square Deal Riders Motorcycle AHRMA Vintage National Race 300
June 24 – 26 BAGSAI Softball Tournament 12U/14U Empire State Challenge 450
June 27 – July 1 NYS Professional Firefighters
400
June 29 – July 2 Broome County American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame
200
Tournament
July 1 – 3 ASA 16U/18U NYS ASA Championships
550
July 4 – 10 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open Champions Tour
2,500
July 11 – 15
Greater Binghamton Sports Complex Summer Soccer Camp
50
July 13 – 16
American Legion – Department of New York
1,000
July 14 – 17 American Legion Auxiliary 8 & 40
800
July 15 – 17
Union Aquatic Swim Meet – Sertoma Summer Invitational
350
Swim Meet
July 15 – 17 Unadilla Velley Grand Prix – ATV National
400
July 15 – 17
BAGSAI Softball Tournament – 16U Summer Sizzler
450
July 16 – 24 Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger
600
July 16 – 17 Broome-Tioga Sports Center Motocross-ACR Vintage, VET,
200
& Youth Champs
July 22 – 24
ABA State Series Racing Championship – NYS Championship
250
Qualifier
July 22 – 24
SusqueNango Summer Trials – Obedience/Rally Trial
150
July 24 – 29 The Ice House Sports Complex Youth Hockey Sports Int’l
50
Summer Camps
July 28 – 31 Wounded Warriers Amputee Softball Team
25
August 3 – 7
Knights of Lithuania National Convention – Annual Convention 100
August 5 – 7 Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally
1,500
August 5 – 7 BCANY Hoops Festival
500
August 7 – 11 US Golf Local League (USGLL) Annual Championship
50
August 12 – 14 Unadilla Valley Grand Prix Pro National Motocross
400
August 18 – 21 Susquehanna Kennel Club Confirmation Show
150
August 21 – 26 The Ice House Sports Complex Youth Hockey Sports Int’l
50
Summer Camps
August 26 – 28 Chris Thater Memorial Races
1,000
August 26 – 28 Susque-Nango Kennel Club AKC Agility Trials
200
Convention Scoreboard 2016
C onvention & Events S cheduled For C onvention & Events Through Total O ut- of -Town Visitors Through TOTAL DOLLARS THROUGH 2016
J une J une J une J une 20
82
34,485
$12,043,595
If you are interested in offering discounts and becoming part of our Give Away List sent to
Meeting & Event Planners, please contact the Greater Binghamton Convention & Visitors
Bureau at 772-8860. Meeting & Event Planners are sent offerings 90 days in advance.
June 2016
6
Greater Binghamton Chamber’s “Business of the Week”
Each week, the Greater Binghamton Chamber randomly selects a chamber member business, which is named “Business of the Week”. The
business is spotlighted for one business week (M-F). The “Business of the Week” receives: a personal visit from Chamber representatives, the
week-long display of a stylish, prominent sign that formally announces their recognition, photo opportunities and an announcement on the
home page of the Chamber’s website.
Our “Business of the Week” program, sponsored by Visions Federal Credit Union, is another opportunity to show our appreciation to
Chamber members for supporting the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce and investing in our community, as well as for Chamber staff to better familiarize us with our members.
We want to learn more about their company, how it fits in to our regional community, and how we can best serve their business.
April 11 – 15, 2016
Philadelphia, Syracuse, Albany, Rochester,
the Binghamton area can be a hub of business
and activity to reach all these areas. What an
incredible position we are in. We are a part of
this community and look forward to growing
with it.
April 18 – 22, 2016
NorthPointe Church
We help people live life to its fullest. Jesus
wants us to live life to the fullest so we help
people do that. Through KidzTown, Thrive
(teens), small groups for adults and our unique
approach on Sunday mornings, we truly want to
connect with everyone in this area. Everyone
has a story and every story matters.
We want to see people’s lives change. We
have seen families come back together, kids
and teens’ lives changed and many find hope
they had lost. But what best describes what’s
happening at NorthPointe is what others are
saying:
“The atmosphere was welcoming and
comfortable. I felt right at home. I loved the
pastor’s T-shirt and jeans approach!”
“The non-traditional approach to a church
service was refreshing, enjoyable, and easy to
connect with.”
“NorthPointe is unlike any other church I
have ever been to! I love the music and the
multimedia.”
“I was shocked when the service was over. . . I
felt like it had only just begun. I’ll be back next
week!”
“We feel strongly that God has led us to you
and NorthPointe. We are excited to be involved
with a new ministry, and want to help in any
way we can.”
“Our kids loved it, and decided for us that we
would return next Sunday!”
It has been great to get to know some of the
business leaders in our community via the
Greater Binghamton Chamber. I know some
get discouraged living in the area, thinking the
‘heydays’ were many years ago. But we think
the best days are still ahead. There are some
really neat people in this area and some really
sharp entrepreneurs that have great vision and
see what Binghamton can become. Being a city
within a few hours’ drive of so many cities:
We live by those principles on all projects,
no matter how small; we have, however,
been fortunate to be part of almost every
significant project within the last 10 years here
in Binghamton. That list includes, but is not
limited to, projects at Binghamton University,
SUNY Broome, the Maine Endwell Central
School District, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital
and UHS.
We are a major donor to several local
organizations, and strive to be a good neighbor
in the community. For example, during the
floods of 2006 and 2011, we pumped water
from several businesses whose operations
were impacted and also assembled a team of
employees who went house-to-house helping
people clean up their homes.
We began in the fall of 2008 and launched
officially on February 8th 2009.
We work hard to help others experience
‘Something Different’. Many people are
seeking spiritual things but have given up
on traditional approaches. Maybe the church
they grew up in was 50 years behind the time,
filled with changing rules or maybe just plain
boring. It isn’t that they stop seeking God, they
just don’t know where to look. So we offer
something different. We just believe God is
an exciting God and His church should be an
exciting place to be a part of.
wellness on our job sites and in our offices, and
to consistently meet or exceed the ethical and
community expectations that society has of a
business.
LeChase Construction Services
LeChase Construction is a full–service
construction management and general
construction firm with extensive experience
in a wide range of industry segments
including healthcare, education, industrial
and manufacturing, science and technology
and commercial. Specifically, we offer
services in construction management, general
construction, design-build and facilities
management.
Membership in the Chamber has provided
a means to network with local people and
other businesses. Finding local skilled and
capable service or materials providers is
often simplified by either using the published
business directory or by contacting people who
would have otherwise went unknown if not for
membership in the Chamber.
May 2 – 6, 2016
The construction industry is all about
relationships and repeat clients. Being a
member of the Chamber has allowed us the
opportunity to meet and develop relationships
associated with our industry, as well as with
community leaders and potential clients. These
relationships have allowed us to grow our
Binghamton office from a base of four full-time
employees to a staff of 30 today.
April 25 – 29, 2016
With proper planning, expertise and flexibility
we can manage all aspects of any given project.
We can also self–perform sitework, demolition,
concrete, masonry and rough/finish carpentry.
LeChase has the experience and ability to work
with design professionals and the necessary
support staff to ensure a successful project.
Girl Scouts of NYPENN
Pathways
Girl Scouts is the premiere leadership
development program for girls in the country!
We serve nearly 16,000 girls in grades K-12
in our 26 counties in Girl Scouts of NYPENN
Pathways. Girl Scouts discover themselves and
the world around them, connect with others,
and take action to make their communities and
the world a better place.
As a forward–moving company, LeChase
aligns itself with customers who are looking
for partnerships and long–term relationships.
As evidence that we are “doing it right the first
time,” we have an impressive amount of repeat
business alongside a growing client list.
In 1944, Raymond F. LeChase founded
LeChase Construction Company in Rochester,
N.Y. to fill the demand for local construction
work during World War II. R. Wayne LeChase
succeeded his father as president and CEO of
the business in 1981. The growth that followed
included the company’s first project outside
of Monroe County, a $26.5 million medium
security correctional facility in Marcy, New
York.
FLI’s philosophy has always been to design
products that outperform the competition.
This is done by re-examining the problems
to be solved while optimizing the solutions.
Significant portions of the research and design
are in-house, not outsourced to design shops
in who knows where. Local, often New York
based, sources for raw materials and services
are emphasized.
Finger Lakes Instrumentation,
LLC
Since then, LeChase has continued to expand
its reach. Led by a team with deep experience
in the construction industry, and the firm
now has operations in North Carolina and in
multiple locations across New York – including
the Binghamton office which opened in 2007.
Finger Lakes Instrumentation, LLC
(FLI) produces computer controlled high
performance CCD cameras, filter wheels and
focusers for astronomy, microscopy, life science
and forensics. The CCD cameras are designed
and produced in the Lima, NY facility while
the filter wheels and focusers are designed
and produced in the Binghamton, NY facility.
The Binghamton, NY products offer superior
price/performance as compared to competitors’
products in the global marketplace. FLI is a
regional and national exporter. Most of FLI’s
business is outside of NY with a large portion
of the business outside the United States.
We are a large company with a small company
philosophy. The LeChase way is to “do the right
thing” – Simply, that means we are committed
to treat our customers and our people with
integrity, to strive for excellence and continual
quality improvement, to promote safety and
FLI incorporated in 2000 with a small office
in Lima, NY. In 2007, the Binghamton office
opened on Charles St in 1600 sqft of leased
space. In 2016, FLI will be expanding into an
addition 2900 sqft to accommodate growth in
both the design and assembly operations.
Girl Scouts of the USA began in 1912 when
Juliette Gordon Low gathered 18 girls in
Savannah, GA. Our council, Girl Scouts of
NYPENN Pathways, is the result of the merger
of five Girl Scouts councils in 2009.
We’re about MUCH MORE than COOKIES!!
While the cookie program teaches girls
essential life skills and funds their yearround activities, it’s those activities that are
important. Many girls say without Girl Scouts
they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to
travel, meet the people they do, help their
communities, try new adventures, enjoy the
outdoors and more.
Being part of the Chamber has been helpful to
Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways because of
the partnerships we are able to form through
the networking events.
ChambeReport
7
Political Corruptness in New York State
Over the past 15 years, 33 lawmakers have been sanctioned, sentenced or
sent packing due to their misbehavior. A new level was reached this past
fall with the corruption convictions of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.
Former Democratic Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced to
12 years in prison and former Republican majority leader Dean Skelos
of the State Senate is currently on trial. But investigations of possible
corruption are underway in several other high-profile cases – including
close Cuomo allies linked to his Buffalo Billion economic initiative.
Former Cuomo aide Joseph Percoco is being scrutinized by U.S.
Attorney Preet Bharara to determine if he, and his wife, received tens of
thousands of dollars from a design and engineering firm involved in the
Buffalo Billion. The Governor has ordered an immediate full review
of the program to determine if there is any wrong-doing. Also the state
attorney general is investigating Alain Kaloyeros, an important figure in
the Buffalo Billion, over a contract awarded for a new dormitory building
at the public college he runs in Albany.
New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, is being reported to have
circumvented donation limits in various upstate Senate races during
the 2014 election cycle. De Blasio’s political operation had hoped to
establish a friendly Democratic majority in the Senate to help pass many
of his office’s agenda items. De Blasio is now under investigation by
three different prosecutors with an interest in money donated and spent
in 2014 for the Senate campaign of Democrat Marc C. Panepinto of
Buffalo.
With all these investigations and guilty verdicts – amid public demands
for strong ethics reforms – what do we have to show for it? There has
been a lot of talk and finger pointing on ethics reform, but no consensus
between the Assembly and Senate on how to correct the culture of
corruption.
When the public has been asked, some of the more popular ways to
reform the political culture in Albany include enacting term limits
and strengthening the Senate and Assembly ethics committees.
Strengthening the ethics committees would be especially helpful, since
the Senate ethics committee has not met in several years. Some other
ways to enact ethics change in Albany would be to close the LLC
Loophole in campaign finance law and legislation to strip pensions from
corrupt politicians.
With Assembly and Senate members anxious to wrap up business in
Albany and focus on their fall reelection campaigns, prospects for major
agreements on any of the remaining issues remain uncertain.
Follow the Chamber on Facebook & Twitter
Stay in touch with your Chamber and find out the latest news, events and programs.
Greater Binghamton Chamber:
www.facebook.com/binghamtonchamber
www.twitter.com/BingChamber
(@BingChamber)
(General information about programs, events,
latest news and member-to-member discounts)
Bridge Run:
www.facebook.com/greaterbinghamtonbridgerun
(General information for Bridge Run
participants and sponsors)
Good News
8
Good Shepherd Communities Foundation
has announced that it is now accepting
applications for its Community Investment
Grants. Each grant must pertain to the
needs of Senior Citizens in Broome County. Proposals will be accepted for seed capital
for new program development, equipment
purchase, capital improvement, or staff
development. The minimum award is
$1,000 and the maximum award $5,000. A
total of $10,000 will be available annually.
Submission deadline is June 30, 2016, no
later than 3:00 PM. Mothers & Babies
Perinatal Network’s 2016
Guys & Gals Fashion Gala
Fundraiser was a huge
success. Thank you to our
Supermodel Sponsors:
Fidelis Care and Servpro
of Broome, Tompkins, and
Tioga Counties. Additional
thanks to our Haute Couture Sponsor Visions
Federal Credit Union. They had record
breaking numbers this year and could not
have achieved that without this support of all
of their vendors, clothing stores, and models
who participated in our event and the guests
who attended!
In April, Security Mutual Life celebrated
World Wish Day® by helping support MakeA-Wish® Central New York and by hosting a
press conference highlighting other Wish-ful
activities taking place in the Southern Tier.
In addition to lighting the top of the Security
Mutual building blue – the corporate color
of Make-A-Wish® – the Company presented
a donation to help Make-A-Wish® Central
New York continue their mission of granting
wishes to children with life-threatening
medical conditions. The Company also
treated employees to Star Donuts from
the Dunkin’ Donuts special Star Donut
Campaign, which benefits Make-A-Wish®
Central New York.
United Methodist
Homes received a $4,000
community health award
from Excellus BlueCross
BlueShield. The funds enabled the purchase of a SCIFIT PRO1 upperbody exerciser for the wellness program at
UMH’s Hilltop Campus. The machine can
improve strength, endurance, flexibility,
mobility and balance. It is fully adjustable
for users of all sizes and abilities. Additional
funds were provided by the United Methodist Homes Foundation.
The head of Upstate Shredding – Weitsman
Recycling, Adam Weitsman, is doing
his part to ensure the success of college
students facing hardships in the region. His
recent donation of $40,000 will support
Binghamton University’s Educational
Opportunity Program, which identifies
students facing economic challenges but
show promise for success in a college setting.
The Binghamton, NY
Section of the American
Society for Quality
presented its annual Paul
A. Robert Award recently.
The award is presented
to a local member of the
community that has demonstrated outstanding
commitment to supporting the Binghamton
Section and the local business community in
promoting product and service quality. The
2016 award was presented to Peggy Sniezek,
an Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Information Systems (CSIS) at SUNY
Broome Community College.
The Binghamton Health
Campaign hosted its first
Marathon Weekend in
May. This included the
Herald of Victory Marathon,
Victory Fitness Expo, Beers
and Cheers Microbrewery
Festival, and Ride for Life
26.2 all held on May 29.
Bob Stezzi, founder of Bob Stezzi Training
& Consulting delivered the keynote talk at
the graduation ceremony for Leadership Tioga
this month. Bob is a graduate of Leadership
Broome (now the Broome Leadership
Institute) and has trained and coached
thousands of leaders from hundreds of
organizations across the country since 1995.
Confluence Running concluded
its first Confluence Kids
Running & Health Program at
Roosevelt elementary school. The program ended in May and
will resume in 2017.
CENTURY 21 Sbarra & Wells is pleased
to welcome Matthew Gardner to its Greater
Binghamton office. Gardner has 10 years of
experience in the field and has an extensive
background in advertising and marketing.
Columbian Financial
Group is pleased to
announce the addition of
Jordan G. Baugh as Chief
Information Officer. Jordan
comes to Columbian from
HCSC (Health Care Services
Corp) where he was Director
of Information Technology
in the retail health care space. Jordan has
an extensive background in business and IT
transformation initiatives in insurance, direct
marketing and financial verticals.
Paul J. Sweeney, Esq., a partner with
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP was the featured
speaker at series of regional seminars hosted
by the Public Employment Risk Management
Association (“PERMA”) on November 12,
2015 in Rockland County; on March 10,
2016 in Genesee County; and on March 26,
2016 in Nassau County. Mr. Sweeney, who
chairs the firm’s Labor & Employment Law
Practice Group, spoke on labor issues of
interest to public sector employers, including
fire and police disability, Civil Service
Law, and collective bargaining issues. Over
100 representatives from local government
attended these regional PERMA seminars.
Over 100 architectural
and business leaders
from across New York
gathered in May to
recognize the recipients
of the “2016 Excelsior
Awards” presented by the American Institute
of Architects of New York State. Thirteen
publicly-funded projects were recognized
from across the state for best exemplifying
excellence in the public sector and providing
a model of excellence for future state-
funded building design. Delta Engineers,
Architects & Land Surveyors, DPC was
delighted to be among those selected for this
recognition. Craig Wademan, AIA attended
the event to accept the Honor Award for
Public Architecture on behalf of the design
team for their work on the C. Fred Johnson
Carousel Building Renovation project in
Johnson City, NY.
Delta Engineers,
Architects, & Land
Surveyors, DPC is pleased
to announce that they have
been named as one of
Central New York’s Best
Places to Work for a second
consecutive year! They
have once again received
this recognition as one of the top twelve
participating firms in the greater than fifty
employee category in this event sponsored
by BizEventz. The survey measured the
importance and overall satisfaction with a
wide range of company work environment
factors such as quality of management,
opportunities for professional growth, and
compensation and benefits.
“We’re excited to welcome Jim Trevitt, Kay
Graves, Robert Potochniak, Kelly Tiddick,
Andrea Fox, and Joe Mancinelli to EXIT
Realty,” says Robert Farrell of EXIT Realty
Homeward Bound. “EXIT is growing and
attracting top producing agents like this
talented group of Realtors each and every
day across the nation.” Jim Trevitt and his
group bring a combined over 50 years of
real estate experience serving the residents
of Greater Binghamton. We look forward to
growing together at EXIT Realty. The Food Bank of the Southern Tier
welcomes three new board members to
its board of directors: John Bayne, Peter
Cronk, and Michael Eisner. John Bayne is
Vice President and General Manager, High
Performance Displays and Advanced Glass
Innovations, Corning Glass Technologies,
Corning, NY. Peter Cronk is a Public
Relations Agent (Retired), Riger Marketing
Communications, Binghamton, NY. Michael
Eisner is CFA, Senior Vice President, Chief
Investment Officer, Market Street Trust
Company, Corning, NY.
The Small Business Administration will
recognize 26 Upstate New York businesses
from a variety of industries at its Small
Business Excellence Awards luncheon in
May. Among those that were honored, Ben
Giordano, owner of FreshySites LLC in
Binghamton, was given the SBA’s 2016
Syracuse District Young Entrepreneur of
the Year Award for his company’s growth
in sales, employees and community
contributions.
June 2016
Good Shepherd Communities recently
recognized employees who have achieved
significant milestones in their careers with
Good Shepherd. Events were held at
both Good Shepherd Fairview Home in
Binghamton and Good Shepherd Village
at Endwell. Staff and residents joined in
thanking the following individuals for their
contributions to Good Shepherd and to the
field of Long Term Care. 30 Years: Shirley
Herbert & MaryEllen Tong; 25 Years: Colleen
Borst, Shari Mangan & Mary Ann Rickard; 20
Years: James Glatzel, Martha Orshal & Angel
Warner; 15 Years: Cheri Carpenter, Michael
Keenan, Claudia Osterhout & Kathy Swezey;
10 Years: Donna Brisco, Naomi Fleming,
Elsie Robles, Melissa Strassel, Geraldine
Swan & Christa Webb. They also had 23
employees celebrating 5 years.
On April 22 Good
Shepherd Communities
hosted its third semiannual Leadership Retreat
at the Binghamton
Country Club. Forty-six members of the
management staffs of Good Shepherd
Communities, Good Shepherd Fairview
Home, Good Shepherd Village at Endwell,
and Good Shepherd Communities
Foundation participated in this day-long
event. Francis Battisti, Ph.D. presented a
program to enhance leadership skills in the
areas of Conflict Resolution and Problem
Solving\Decision Making. This program
exemplifies Good Shepherd’s strong
commitment to continuing education.
Gorick Construction
Co., Inc. is pleased to
announce that they were
recently recognized
by Equipment World
magazine as a finalist for Contractor of the
Year. By being named a finalist Gorick
Construction was recognized by their peers,
customers and friends in the industry as one of
the best professional contractors in America!
Greater Binghamton SCORE Mentor Dave
Burch and Upstate NY SCORE District
Director Bill Ritter recently supported very
successful meetings with Upstate New York
NFL Alumni Associations. Capitalizing on
the partnership already established between
SCORE and the National Football League
and the restructure of Upstate New York NFL
Alumni Chapters, counseling services were
provided regarding strategic planning and
engagement for various phases of player’s
careers.
Carol Schneider LMT, MMP
of HeartGlow Integrated
Massage has received the
American Massage Therapy
Association’s Humanitarian
Award for 2015 from their
New York State Chapter.
Carol was recognized for
working on many levels to
have massage therapy incorporated as part of
our state’s wellness solution. She has donated
massages for local charities fundraising
efforts and also provides free educational
massage therapy seminars to any company
and organization interested in learning more
about the Benefits of Integrated Massage.
Huron Campus is pleased to welcome
PYRAMID Business Systems, a provider of
information-technology (IT) services, which
relocated its corporate office to Endicott,
ChambeReport
which is known as “the Birthplace of IBM.”
PYRAMID Business Systems employs
12 people and began operations at Huron
Campus on April 1. Pyramid Business
Systems relocated to Huron Campus to take
advantage of the modern and secure buildings
to be able to grow its business, offering
clients innovative solutions to address the
changing technology in today’s world.
Steve Seepersaud, co-president of the I Run
For... Half Marathon Organization was
elected president of the Communications
Association of the Southern Tier (CAST)
for 2016-17. CAST is a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit, networking organization for area
professionals in advertising, public relations,
graphic design, marketing, creative services
and related fields. Steve has served as CAST
treasurer since 2014.
The employees have spoken, and ICS
Solutions Group (with offices in Endicott
and Syracuse) has been named one of the
top 25 places to work in Central New York.
The fourth annual contest presented by
the Business Journal News Network and
BizEventz ranks ICS among two dozen other
companies whose team members have given
high marks to their work environment.
J&K Plumbing and Heating Co., Inc. has
been awarded the HVAC Contract for the
Binghamton – Johnson City Joint Sewage
Treatment Plant restoration and rehabilitation.
Lou Williams, J&K’s Vice President/
Construction will be the project executive
and Ben Curley will be J&K’s project
superintendent.
J&K Plumbing and Heating Co., Inc.
has earned the Northeastern Subcontractors
Association Gold Level Safety Award. J&K
was selected from subcontractors of all trades
throughout New York State based upon the
success of its employee’s safety and training
program. J&K employees worked a total of
177,855 man-hours in 2015 with no lost time
incidents.
Levene Gouldin &
Thompson, LLP is
pleased to announce that
Nicholas J. Tuttle has
become an associate of the
Firm. Nicholas received
his Bachelor’s Degree
from Nazareth College
in Rochester, NY. He
graduated from Albany Law School in 2013.
His practice will be focused in Family/
Matrimonial and Real Estate. Nicholas will be
located in the Vestal Office.
Lourdes Hospital has recently been
designated by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
as one of the first hospitals to receive the
Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care
designation. This new designation under the
Blue Distinction Specialty Care program
helps prospective parents find hospitals that
deliver quality, affordable maternity care.
McFarland Johnson is pleased to announce
its Geothermal Apron project at Greater
Binghamton Airport recently received
national recognition as a Grand Award
recipient of the American Council of
Engineering Companies (ACEC) Engineering
Excellence Awards at the Annual Gala
held last night in Washington, DC. Grand
Awards are given to only the Top 8 projects
throughout the United States and selected
9
Good News
from hundreds of submissions. Kate Stewart of National
Pipe & Plastic and Marisa
Colonna-Garrow of Piaker
& Lyons PC volunteered
at the Our Space project at
Rec Park. Kate & Marisa
both graduated in the BLI
class of 2014. Their class
community service project
was to raise funds for the Our Space project
in April 2014. Now two years later they are
both still working on the project build. Rabbi Rachel Esserman, executive editor of
The Reporter Group, won first place in the
critique category of the Syracuse Press Club
awards for her book review “The difficult
parts of life.” The newspaper group publishes
its flagship paper, The Reporter, which serves
the Binghamton/Ithaca/Cortland/Oneonta
Jewish communities. Esserman has won
several Syracuse Press Club awards for her
reviews and opinion pieces.
The Marketing and
Communications
department of Cornell
University’s School of
Hotel Administration
hired Riger Marketing
Communications to help them promote
a video and several blog posts through
Facebook, Linkedin, and YouTube ad
campaigns. Riger provided all social media
network/ad type recommendations, ad
layouts, launching, monitoring, and ongoing
optimization of the campaigns.
SERVPRO franchise owner
Lou Sepe of Servpro of
Broome, Tompkins & Tioga
Counties was recently
recognized with Servpro
Industries, Inc.’s CEO
Award for “Creating an
Excellent Organization.”
The award acknowledges
offices with an outstanding work
environment, and it is the third time Sepe
has received this honor. Sepe’s SERVPRO
franchises rank in the top ten of 1,700
national SERVPRO franchises.
Seton Catholic Central’s Swing Choir
studied with several Broadway Performers
in April. Under the direction of Jan and
Shannon DeAngelo, 35 students and 20 adults
headed to the Big Apple for a whirlwind
of professional Broadway training and
Broadway shows. “The goal of this weekend
was educating our student performers”, said
Director Jan DeAngelo.
The faculty, staff and students of SUNY
Broome Community College excitedly
await the construction of a dynamic economic
and business development center for
Broome County. The regional Economic
Development One-Stop center will be
situated on the SUNY Broome campus.
The Agency Broome County IDA/LDC has
secured a grant through the NYS Economic
Development Assistance Program and will
construct the building on the south entrance
of the SUNY Broome Campus.
Tully Rinckey PLLC is pleased to announce
that Kathryn A. Donnelly, Esq., an attorney
with extensive military law and litigation
experience, has joined the firm as an
associate. She will concentrate her practice
on military law, regularly handling cases
involving Article 15s, letters of reprimand,
courts-martial, and officer/enlisted separation
proceedings.
Warren Real Estate of
Binghamton is very proud
and excited to announce
the addition of Melissa
Hackford to their dedicated
team of professionals.
Melissa brings 10 years of
retail experience, including
5 years in management,
as well as entrepreneurial experience from
owning her own business. We are interested in sharing your good
news with other Chamber members. Every
month we include a GOOD NEWS section
with one-sentence items about good news
from our members. The deadline to submit
the good news information is the first
Friday of the month prior to publication. If
you have questions or would like to submit
a good news item for the ChambeReport,
please contact Judi Hess at judi@
visitbinghamton.org.
June 2016
SBC Network Luncheon
Sponsored by:
Thursday, June 9, 2016
11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Mountain Top Grove and View Clambakes
539 Hance Road, Binghamton
Menu:
Raw & Steamed Clams; Large Chilled Shrimp; Grilled Rib-eye
Sandwiches; Roasted Pork and Beef Sandwiches; Hot & Sweet
Sausage with Peppers & Onions; Grilled Hot Dogs & Hamburgers;
Fresh Salads & Watermelon; Potatoes; Soft Serve Ice Cream; Soda,
Lemonade, Iced Tea & Coffee.
$18 advance / $21 After 6/3
Call Christine to make your reservation(s) at (607) 772-8860
or cstezzi@greaterbinghamtonchamber.com.
Sign up and pay on-line at www.
greaterbinghamtonchamber.com
Cancellations after June 3, 2016 are non-refundable
10
Calendars
June 2016
ChambeReport
11
GBEOP Recruiting
Candidates for 2017
Broome Leadership
Institute (BLI) Program
Recruitment is underway for the Greater Binghamton Education
Outreach Program’s Broome Leadership Institute (BLI) Class of 2017.
BLI Class of 2016 at their Teambuilding Retreat on September 18
BLI, which just celebrated 29 years,
is a highly respected community
leadership training program
offered through the Greater
Binghamton Education Outreach
Program (GBEOP), a non-profit
affiliate organization of the
Greater Binghamton Chamber of
Commerce. The Broome Leadership
Institute was created under the belief
that the future prosperity of a community lies in its people. The goal of the
program is to identify people who are interested in playing a key role in
making Greater Binghamton the best that it can be.
The benefits are tremendous:
• Meeting with key decision-makers face-to-face
• Gaining a broader understanding of the issues affecting our region
• Learning new skills and making invaluable professional contacts
• Building the knowledge, experience and contacts needed to make a
positive difference in our community
• Experiencing fun along the way
The BLI program begins with a teambuilding retreat on September
16 and meets for a full day on the first, third and fifth Thursday of
each month from October through the end of March. Only 20 diverse
applicants are accepted, so we encourage you to apply early since space is
limited. There is a fee involved for successful applicants: $1,400 for Chamber
members, $1,100 for non-profit Chamber members and $1,800 for nonmembers. Scholarships are available through money raised by the BLI Alumni
Association. Applications are due on August 1.
Find out more at the 10th Annual BLI Recruiting Event…
Wednesday, June 15, 2016 • 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Terra Cotta, 81 State Street, Binghamton
To Register: Refer to the registration form/flyer on page 20
or contact Christine Stezzi at cstezzi@greaterbinghamtonchamber.com
or (607) 772-8860.
For more information about the BLI program, contact Amy Shaw,
Executive Director, GBEOP, at ashaw@greaterbinghamtonchamber.com
or (607) 772-8863 x313.
ALUMNI
BLI Alumni Association
Cordially invites you to attend the
Annual Breakfast Meeting
Thursday, June 23, 2016
7:30 to 9:00 a.m.
The Binghamton Club
83 Front Street, Binghamton
It’s been another busy year for the BLI Alumni Association!
We invite you to attend the Annual Breakfast Meeting where you
can:
• Catch up with other members of your BLI Class while you enjoy
breakfast
• Meet BLI Alumni from other classes
• Get acquainted with some recent graduates of the BLI Class of 2016
• Cast your ballot for our new slate of board members
• See the BLI Class of 2016 class project presentation
• Find out our Recipient of Annual Alumni of Distinction Award
The BLI Alumni Annual Breakfast Meeting is held each year to present
the Annual President’s Report, swear in the incoming board members
and recognize outgoing board members.
AGENDA:
7:30 a.m. * Registration, Breakfast Buffet & Cast Ballots for Board
Member Candidates
8:00 a.m. * Welcome
* Annual Report by President, Shari Sterling & Committee
Chairs
* Announce 2016-2017 BLI Alumni Association Board
Members
* Recognize Outgoing Board Members
* Present BLI Alumni of Distinction Award
* BLI Class of 2016 Class Project Presentation
9:00 a.m. * Program Concludes
RSVP by Monday, June 20th to:
Christine Stezzi at 772-8860 or cstezzi@greaterbinghamtonchamber.com.
Paid Alumni Members and BLI Class of 2016 – Complimentary;
Non-paid Alumni Members and Guests - $15.00
(Mail a check payable to “Greater Binghamton Chamber”,
Attn: BLI Alumni
PO Box 995, Binghamton, NY 13902-0995)
Questions? Contact Amy Shaw at (607) 772-8863 x313 or
ashaw@greaterbinghamtonchamber.com.
12
6th Annual Bridge Run: A Generous Donation after a Rainy Day
On Sunday, May 1 the 6th Annual Greater Binghamton Bridge Run Half Marathon and
5K participants lined up at NYSEG stadium. This year’s event hosted by the Chamber in
partnership with GHS Federal Credit Union and the Binghamton Mets was once again very
highly attended. With nearly 2,000 runners and many more spectators, the Bridge Run
continues to be a highlighted event on the Binghamton calendar each year.
We added a few new features to this year’s race. Due to our 2015 Men’s Overall winner and
a few others, we added the Double Bridge Challenge! This was an opportunity for runners
to compete in both the half marathon and the 5K and had nearly 60 people sign up in the
first year! We also started a kids run for any child under the age of 11.
The 2016 Charity Partner was the Danielle House. The Danielle House will receive $3,000
from this year’s event! The Danielle House also received donations from race participants
and other activities over the race weekend including our Men’s Overall half marathon
winner, Alex Whitney, donating his $500 award to the Danielle House!
The Cool Down presented by hue, continues to grow each year. This year the start of the
celebration at 11:00 a.m. was moved to Remlik’s due to the rain, but it did not stop the party!
At noon, all race participants and spectators were encouraged to follow the Cool Down Trail
of 6 participating restaurants who offered great food, good drinks, music and everything
downtown!
Thank you to Van Zandbergen Photography, Daniele Vick Studios and Thomas La
Barbera/Correspondent Photographer from the Press & Sun-Bulletin for the wonderful
pictures and awards. The Bridge Run would also like to make a special thank you to all of
our event sponsors, volunteers, Broome County, City of Binghamton, and the outstanding
emergency services and public safety team who helped support another great race!
2016 Overall Winners:
Alex Whitney
Binghamton, NY
Male Half Marathon
Heidi Peoples
Scranton, PA
Female Half Marathon
Alan Evans
Beaver Dams, NY Masters Male Half Marathon
Murphee Hayes
Marathon, NY
Masters Female Half Marathon
Vasili Papastrat
Binghamton, NY
Male 5K
Courtney Varano Apalachin, NY
Female 5K
Mookey Kent
Conklin Forks, NY Masters Male 5K
Catherine Farrell Binghamton, NY
Masters Female 5K
Alex Whitney
Binghamton, NY
Double Bridge Challenge
1:18:13
1:18:25
1:19:39
1:32:40
15:20*
(new course record)
19:42
16:30
23:30
Combined
Time of 1:43:07
Congratulations to
all of our winners
and all of our
runners for a terrific
accomplishment!
June 2016
ChambeReport
13
6th Annual Bridge Run: A Generous Donation after a Rainy Day
WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING
FOR THE SUCCESS OF
Special Thanks To…
Tom Barney, iHeartMedia
Marci Goodwin & Mike Corey, Jack Sherman
Toyota
Eric Olsen, 3i Graphics & Signs, Inc.
Jim Pandich, Broome County EMS
Peter Behlog, Behlog & Son Produce Inc.
Phil Griswold, Finger Lakes Technologies
Group, Inc.
John Birchall, Newchannel 34
Mike Hall, Fast Track Timing
Donna Reep-Cook, Wegmans
Kevin Blake, ICS of New York
Russ Harris, Dimon & Bacorn
Jim Reyen, Johnson Outdoors, Inc.
Mark Bliznik, Carr Printing 2.0
Kirk Hayes, Worldwide Sport Supply
Glenn Roberts, Lourdes Hospital EMS
Stephanie Blodgett, Ad Elements, LLC
Travis Hayes, ICS of New York
Sam Salamida, Park Outdoor
Jay Bongiorno, Excellus BCBS
Camila & Peter Hoffman, Hue Studios
Ray Serowik, Broome County EMS
Gay Canough, ETM Solar Works
Rachel Jenks, Davis College
Margaret Tatich, The Children’s Home
T.J. Ciaravino, Worldwide Sport Supply
Mike Karr, Culligan Water
Mary O’Malley-Trumble, IBM
Tom Claybaugh, Press & Sun Bulletin
Gannett Media
Kevin Kane, Binghamton Parks Department
Kirk & Leslie VanZandbergen, VanZandbergen
Photography
Kathryn Connerton, Lourdes Hospital
Jennifer Crawford, GHS Federal Credit Union
Captain J.C. Colling, Binghamton Fire Dept.
John Current, Metro Center
Rich David, Mayor, City of Binghamton
Laura Doud, McFarland-Johnson, Inc.
Ford Drake, SVARA
Gordon Dusinberre, Northside Automotive
Matt Gawors, Confluence Running
Hayley Lerner, Forte Interactive
John Leet, WICZ-TV Fox 40
Sgt. William Lescault, Bing. Police Dept.
William Loller, UHS, Inc. EMS
Ashley Lonardelli, Price Chopper
Christopher Marion, BC Stop-DWI
Debbie Preston, Broome County Executive
Daniele M. Vick Studios
Tom Vroman, Broome County EMS
Jim Weed, Binghamton Mets
Loretta Mason-Williams, Bing. University
Jon Yeager, Binghamton DPW
John Marshall, Nirchi’s Pizza
Dan Zimmerman & Herb Griffith, Dataflow,
Inc.
Frank Meier, Meier Supply Co. Inc.
Michelle Zemanick, Rogers Service Group
Howard Meller, GHS Federal Credit Union
Kelsey Newman, Positive Life Force
Kim LoSapio, Progressive Dental
Mike Flesher, Taylor Rental Center
And a special THANK YOU to our Volunteers and Road Marshals!
June 2016
14
BLI Class of 2016’s CHOW Community Gardens Project Comes to Fruition
After visiting the CHOW community gardens and seeing the unwanted
solicitous snacking of woodchucks and deer on the beds planted with the
help of volunteer groups from April into the late fall harvest season, the
BLI Class of 2016 decided to assist with improvements. Better fencing was
needed to protect the volunteer gardens that provide produce delivered to
disadvantaged residents in the Southern Tier. The new fencing needed to be
specifically designed to foil gophers who go under most fences and deer who
are able to leap over six foot fences.
To start
fundraising,
twenty
baskets were
assembled by
the BLI class
members
thanks to
numerous
donations
from local
businesses.
Basket
displays were
arranged at
three UHS locations and at the BLI class graduation to begin raffle ticket sales.
Eager raffle ticket purchasers chose between the amazing selection of baskets.
The final fundraising event was set up with Midway Bowling in Vestal for a
friendly afternoon of bowling on April 2. The BLI class invited so many teams
to bowl for CHOW that some had to merge and others were not able participate.
Some of the teams that could not participate offered direct donations instead.
Class members and their families supplied treats for a bake sale at the fundraiser
and also staffed
registration, a
50/50 and the final
basket raffles.
Fundraising
successfully
raised enough
money to cover
the costs of
materials for
the fence, a
much needed
storage trailer
for gardening
supplies, as
well as a large,
movable sun shelter for volunteers
At the gardens, the work had begun. By coordinating with James Dunn, CHOW
Garden Manager, plans for the garden were set in action. Rick Annunziata of
Tioga State Bank utilized a bobcat from B&G Sealcoating & Striping and a
rented trench digger to carve over 500 feet of four foot trenching on April 1. The
weather ranged from rain, snow, and sleet to a bit of sun.
The next day the class was ready to follow through with plans to set the belowground woodchuck barrier and shovel the trenches back in. On April 3, when
winter realized it had missed the Southern Tier, BLI class members met early
along the river flats of Conklin. Undaunted by twenty degree wind and blowing
white-outs, they completed the project.
The BLI Class of 2016 would like to thank all of the individuals and
businesses that donated or assisted with our project and fundraising efforts,
including the following businesses that either donated raffle items, funds,
space, or assisted in other ways with our project:
• A Balloon Affair
• B&G Sealcoating & Striping
• Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP
• Harding Brooks Insurance
• ICS Solutions Group
• Kampai Japanese Steakhouse
• Park Manor Wine and Liquor
• Roberson Museum and Science
Center
• Samaritan Counseling Center of
the Southern Tier, Inc.
• Tioga State Bank
• United Health Services (UHS)
• United Methodist Homes
ChambeReport
15
BLI Hosts Successful 2016 Canstruction® of the Southern Tier
The Broome Leadership Institute
(BLI) Alumni Association held
a very successful 3rd Annual
Canstruction® of the Southern Tier
at the Oakdale Mall April 3 – 10, 2016. Eleven local teams competed
to design and build giant structures from full cans of food to generate
awareness about hunger issues in our community. Teams were responsible
for purchasing all canned goods used for their structure. 100% of the
proceeds will support hunger-relief efforts in Broome County!
MANY THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS…
Presenting Sponsor (3rd Year in a Row):
Silver Sponsor: UHS
Gold Sponsors:
Supporting Sponsors:
BCK-IBI Group
Binghamton Noon Rotary
Binghamton Giant Market Inc.
BLI Alumni Association
Broome Cooperative Insurance
Coughlin & Gerhart
Miller Auto Team
McIntosh Laboratory Inc.
Peoples Security Bank & Trust Company
Vestal Rotary Club
Special Thanks To:
DataFlow • Oakdale Mall
This year, the event raised a record $17,779 and about 35,000 cans of
For more information about having your company participate in this event in 2017,
food for our community, which will benefit CHOW and Food Bank of the
contact Steve Thesier at steve.thesier@ibigroup.com.
Southern Tier.
Congratulations to all the teams! See how the Canstruction® judges recognized the winners in each category:
BAE Systems –
“Gronk the Dinosaur”
IBM –
“CAN You THINK Outside The
Box? Help Solve Community
Hunger.”
Winner, People’s Choice Award
BCK-IBI Group –
Stop Hunger INSIDE by
Helping OUT”
Keystone –
“Home of the Square Meal”
Winner, Structural Integrity Award
Chobani –
“Feeding America Naturally”
Winner, Best Use of Labels
Lockheed Martin/BTBOCES
New Visions –
“The Little Engine that CAN”
Winner, Honorable Mention Award
Modern Marketing Concepts –
“The Great Pyramid of Eaters”
Oakdale Mall/ Chenango Valley
CSD – “Check-Mate Hunger”
Winner, People’s Choice Award,
Small Can Structure
Rockwell Collins –
“Clifford the Big Red Dog”
Winner, Juror’s Favorite Award
STYP/Tioga State Bank –
“Binghamton Mets NYSEG
Stadium
Visions Federal Credit Union/BT
BOCES CTE/Skills USA –
“House of Hunger”
Winner, Best Meal Award
June 2016
16
Chamber Happenings
April SBC Network Luncheon
A very special “Thank You” to M Squared Management Consultants
LLC for sponsoring the April 15 SBC Network Luncheon! Chamber
members enjoyed delicious food, networking and a warm atmosphere
at the Red Lobster in Vestal. Prizes were generously donated by these
Chamber members: WSKG Public Media, HeartGlow Integrated
Massage and Levene Gouldin & Thompson, LLP. Thank you to all!
Guest Speaker Series
A great group enjoyed the 2016 Semi-Annual Guest Speaker Series
“Spending Your Marketing Dollar$ Wisely” at the Schorr Family
Firehouse Stage on April 21. Thank you to our Guest Speakers: Karen
Matson, Executive Director, The Humane Society; Rick Purdy, Digital
& Media Specialist, ABC Creative Group, Inc.; Ryan Yarosh, Director of
Media & Public Relations, BU. Thank you also to Best Bagels in Town
on Upper Front Street!
BLI Alumni Spotlight
The BLI Alumni Spotlight is a feature
developed by the Communications Committee
of the BLI Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Name: David Chambers
BLI Graduation Year: 1992
Company/Organization: Delta Engineers, Architects, &
Land Surveyors
Job Title: Chief Financial Officer
E-mail: dchambers@delta-eas.com
Tell us briefly about yourself and please update your
classmates on your personal/professional experiences
since graduating from BLI: I was born and raised here
in the Greater Binghamton area and received both my
undergraduate degree and my MBA from Binghamton
University. I began working with Delta in 1986, as
a summer construction inspector, held a number of
technical and then managerial positions over the intervening years, and was named
CFO in 2007. My wife and I recently moved into our third West Side house (in
twenty-two years of marriage), where we live to serve our Labrador Retriever, Cara.
Favorite books/movies: I spend a lot of my time available for reading keeping up
with my subscriptions to the Wall Street Journal and the Economist magazine which,
I’m hoping, is not too usual for someone in my line of work. Vacations at the shore
allow me to read “the lighter stuff” – primarily biographies and historical fiction. I’m
dating myself here, but I still love the old Mel Brooks comedies and any of the classic
movies from National Lampoon.
Current and Past Notable Civic Activities: Over the years I served on various
panels and committees for the United Way and the Greater Binghamton Chamber
of Commerce, including the board of the Alumni Association of, what was then,
Leadership Broome. Currently I serve as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of
the Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference, where I was Board Chairperson
from 2013-2015. Just recently I was approached to join the Partners Accountability
volunteer group for the United Way, which reviews the financials of the agency’s
partners to determine their viability and solvency for funding.
Interests/Hobbies: I am still an active, albeit slower, runner than I was and my
wife and I enjoy traveling with friends. We have visited Ireland, Paris, Barcelona,
Rome, and Istanbul over the years, and are currently planning a visit to England and
Scotland later in 2016.
Chamber 101
Brand-new Chamber members,
as well as long-time Chamber
members, gathered on April 26 for
the informational session, Chamber
101, to learn all the benefits that
come with Chamber membership.
Thank you to all who attended and
a special “Thank You” to Chamber
101 Sponsor, Curcio Printing!
Mac and Cheese Fest
Chamber President, Jennifer
Conway, along with fellow judge,
Ty Muse, President of Visions
Federal Credit Union, enjoyed
their duties at the Binghamton
Philharmonic’s first-ever Mac &
Cheese Fest on April 28 at the
Holiday Inn Binghamton. What a
delicious event!
How did your BLI experience change your perception of the community? While I
was raised locally, I quickly realized through my BLI experience how little I actually
knew about the community I was a part of. The various sessions gave me at least a
basic understanding of all the different players and how they interact to support the
area.
How did your BLI experience motivate you to become more involved in the
community? After going through the program I understood the importance, and
the collective power, of all the volunteers working to make a difference in this
community. While we’ve lost so many important employers over the years, and
continue to experience a declining population and changing demographics, there is
still much to be proud of in Greater Binghamton and all of us have a part to play in
making it work.
What was your most memorable BLI activity/moment? Not long after graduation
the Special Olympics came to the area and the Alumni Association was asked to help
plan and run the opening ceremony. We had the idea to create a backdrop depicting
the Colosseum in Rome and, following on the theme, a number of us were there
in “togas” made from white bed sheets. During the program, as one of the young
women was escorting a dignitary across the stage, her fastenings began to come
undone at an alarming rate. Fortunately she was able to keep everything intact long
enough to make her exit, but it was a close call.
What was the most valuable benefit to you from your BLI experience? At first it was
networking with the friends I made through the program but, over time, the most
valuable benefit has come from being an alumnus. I have met many people over the
years, professionally and socially, who are also graduates and it provides a quick,
“centering,” place to begin a new relationship.
What “nugget of wisdom” do you have for your fellow BLI alum? Rather than
jumping at every opportunity to volunteer and serve find a cause or a need that you
feel strongly about and go at it with all of your energy.
ChambeReport
17
Dimon & Bacorn Co. of Binghamton
Dimon & Bacorn Co. of Binghamton celebrated their 40th
Anniversary of Chamber Membership on Wednesday, April 20 with
a ribbon cutting. Thank you for your many years of support!
SUNY Broome
SUNY Broome’s Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) hosted
the 11th Annual Website Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Four small
businesses were honored for developing or enhancing a website or
Facebook page within the past year. Congratulations to all!
Walk to End Alzheimer’s
The cold did not deter all the enthusiastic folks from participating in
the Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter’s 2016 Walk
to End Alzheimer’s on April 23 at Otsiningo Park!
IOA Northeast, Inc. (Hanafin)
Congratulations to IOA Northeast, Inc. (Hanafin) on moving into
their beautiful new office space in the Kilmer Building located at 31
Lewis Street in Binghamton! The ribbon was cut on April 28.
Baked Euphoria
McFarland – Johnson, Inc.
Congratulations to McFarland-Johnson, Inc. on their 70th
Anniversary! The celebration took place on April 22.
KW Fitness
April 22 was the date for the Ribbon Cutting for KW Fitness, 3032
Vestal Road in Vestal, to celebrate their expansion. They have nearly
doubled their original space. Congratulations!
Congratulations to Baked Euphoria Cakes & Pastries on the opening
of Baked Euphoria at Building 16 complete with a drive-thru! It
is located at 25 Hayes Avenue in Endicott (site of the former IBM
Security Building). The ribbon was cut on May 5!
Ridley-Lowell
The ribbon was cut on May 5 at Ridley-Lowell Business and
Technical Institute, 2 Court Street in Binghamton, to celebrate their
brand-new location! An enthusiastic crowd of students and wellwishers was on hand to help celebrate!
18
June 2016
ChambeReport
19
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Links at Hiawatha Landing
20
June 2016
ChambeReport
21
22
June 2016
ChambeReport
23
Greater Binghamton Chamber in partnership with M&T Bank present
PRESENTED BY
2O16
HOSTED BY
gbbe.org
Greater Binghamton Education
reachOut
rP
ogram
Thursday, September 15, 2O16 1:OO - 6:OOPM
DoubleTree by Hilton Binghamton
TECH SPONSOR
CREATIVE SPONSOR
YOUR INFORMATION
Business Name - as you want it to appear on event promotions
EVENT SPONSORS
Contact Name
Contact Email
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone
Fax
PLEASE NOTE: Booth sizes are 4’d x 8w’
Company Size
(number of employees)
Greater Binghamton
Chamber Member Rate
Non-Member
Rate
1-25 Employees
$475
$775
26+ Employees
$575
$875
BOOTH SHARE: 1-2 employees
per company
(2 companies share 1 booth)
$25O each - must find
company to share booth space
Non-profits*
$35O
MEDIA SPONSORS
* (Non-profits must proNot applicable
vide a 501(c)3 certificate
with booth application)
Not applicable
BOOTH SHARE: Non-profits
$2OO each - must find
(2 organizations share 1 booth) organization to share
booth space
2O16 FLOOR PLAN
(The Chamber reserves the right to assign space if preferred space is occupied.)
65
64
97
67
63
62
66
55
54
53
52
51
50
43
42
41
40
39
38
31
30
29
28
27
04
78
26
18
17
77
61
82
76
60
83
75
59
16
74
58
07
73
57
49
06
72
56
48
37
47
36
46
35
45
34
44
33
05
71
32
79
Billing Zip Code
80
Security Code
03
Card Holder Name
AUTHORIZATION I understand that the completed registration form is a contract committing my company to booth space at the
Greater Binghamton Business EXPO 2O16. I agree to abide by the regulations in this brochure (please sign; signature required).
Name/Title
25
Expiration Date
13
CC#
Signature
12
VISA / MC / AMEX / DISCOVER
24
Check (Please make check payable to: Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce)
11
Booth space is limited. Reservations are on a first-paid, first-selection basis. You may mail a check, payable to
Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, or if using a credit card, you may fax 607.722.4513 your registration form or email gina@visitbinghamton.org
23
No
22
Yes
10
PAYMENT
($35 charge must accompany booth application)
09
ELECTRICITY
21
3rd choice
*Booth coordination will be mailed to vendors 9/1/2016.
70
20
2nd choice
60
08
1st choice
68
19
PLEASE NOTE: Booth sizes are 4’d x 8w’
15
BOOTH SPACE PREFERENCE
Not applicable
14
2O16 BOOTH RATES
Website
Date
02
01
CANCELLATION POLICY AND FEES
Until 8/6/16; $1OO cancellation fee
8/7/16 - 9/2/16; $2OO cancellation fee
After 9/3/16; No Refund
81
May 2016
24
The Greater Binghamton
Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 995
49 Court Street, Metrocenter, Suite 200
Binghamton, NY 13902-0995
Phone: (607) 772-8860
Fax: (607) 722-4513
E-Mail:chamber@binghamtonchamber.com
OR C U R R E N T R E SI DE N T
www.GreaterBinghamtonChamber.com
Board Chairman:
Joe Mirabito
Mirabito Energy Products
Publisher:
Jennifer Conway
President & CEO
Editor:
Amy Shaw
Vice President, Member Services
The Greater Binghamton ChambeReport
is published monthly by The GBCC,
P.O. Box 995, Binghamton, NY 13902-0995.
Subscription: $50.00 per year
is included in Chamber Membership.
Standard postage paid at Binghamton, NY.
(USPS-Permit 1).
POSTMASTER: Send address change to:
The GBCC, P.O. Box 995, Binghamton, NY 13902-0995
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