October/November 2023
www.cnybusinessmag.com
$4.50
CNY’s Business Magazine
VETERANS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Census figures show that 5.6% of all businesses in the U.S. are veteran-owned. Nine veterans share their stories on how they’ve overcome adversities to strike out on their own. Starts on page 46 Corey Christman, a 1991 Oswego High School grad, spent most of his 20-year career as a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. He now owns Bravery Wines in Penn Yan.
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CONTENTS
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2023
ISSUE 188
46
VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES After nearly two decades of military service, Gerald Searfoss decided to spice up things. He now owns Black OPS BBQ in Brewerton.. This and eight other featured profiles Brewerton
FEATURES
72
MANUFACTURING
Austin Wheelock: first 250 days • Onondaga SBDC now in charge in Oswego County • Growing a skilled workforce • Q&A with Randy Wolken • HR Basics for small manufacturers
6
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023
86
BANKING
What’s next for CEO Mark Tryniski? • Ways to make passive income • How much money people think they need to retire comfortably • Beware of credit card skimmers
More Contents 40
Tipping
42
My Turn
44
Tim’s Notes
62
No Gas, No Problem
68
Food Bank Expansion
80
What should you really pay when it comes to tipping? How many men have been president of the U.S.? By Bruce Frassinelli Bringing people together, one song and note at a time By Tim Nekritz Electric vehicles grow more common in CNY CNY chapter, one of 16 in NYS, goes through a $8.5M expansion
BUSINESS IS BOOMING AT SYRACUSE CANNABIS STORE
60 32
Economic Development Financing available to facilitate business and development By Austin Wheelock
Use of ars in electric c lly ua CNY grad g s a e incr in
Departments 8 16
Publisher’s Note On the Job
18
How I Got Started
20
What is your company’s bereavement policy? Renee Doney, owner of Village Shops in Fulton
18 16 20
62
Profile
Nathan Emmons is the new economic development person at Operation Oswego County
22
Dining Out
26 94
Biz Update / Newsmakers Success Story
98
Last Page
Duskee’s Sports Bar & Grill, Phoenix
Stefanos’s Pizzeria open third store — in Jefferson County SUNY Oswego helping develop long-lasting lithium-ion batteries
BUYER’S CHOICE —Check our new product placement page. P. 15
94 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
7
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
R.I.P Bruce Frassinelli
O
n Wednesday, Sept. 6, around 3 p.m. I got a call from a reporter in Pennsylvania. “I wonder if you can provide a photo of Bruce Frassinelli. We’re publishing his obit and we’re trying to get a recent photo of him.” And just like that I learned that long-time Oswego County Business writer Bruce Frassinelli had died. I’m still in shock — and saddened. I was in touch with Bruce just three days before when we exchanged a series of emails, which we normally did. Bruce has written for Oswego County Business for over 20 years. I recall getting very excited to get him on board. It was like a major coup, so to speak. He was one of the best writers around and a few years earlier had finished a very successful tenure as publisher of the Oswego Palladium-Times. He was very well connected, served on the boards of several organizations and was a past governor of the Rotary Club. The magazine was about 10 years old at that point and having someone of the caliber of Bruce meant a great deal. His first column debuted with the April-May 2003 edition. Indeed, Bruce made a huge difference. He wrote several cover stories for the magazine. Profiles of former U.S. Ambassador Doug Barclay and of then-publisher of the Oswego County Weeklies Mark Backus come to mind. He maintained his column every issue. He discussed the media, politics, culture, workplace and a number of other issues. His columns were always interesting, insightful, well-written, sharp and sometimes controversial. In one recent column he discussed how Fox News had contributed to a wave of disinformation about the 2020 presidential elections. Great, objective column. Some readers didn’t like it. We got reaction from a dozen readers — some even canceled their subscription to this magazine because they said they were fans of Fox News and how dare you say bad things about the station. Readers can get a good sample of Bruce’s writing in this issue. We’re publishing his last two columns. He was not much a fan of how the tipping system works in the U.S. and he discusses the merits of tipping those 8
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Wagner Dotto editor@cnybusinessmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Stefan Yablonski syablonski@twcny.rr.com WRITERS Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Christopher Malone, Stefan Yablonski Norah Machia, Ken Sturtz COLUMNISTS Austin Wheelock Bruce Frassinelli, Tim Nekritz
who wait tables. Very interesting stuff. He is also writing about politics: If Joe Biden is the 46th president, how many men have served in that position? Bruce also maintained a column in 55 PLUS, a separate magazine we publish. His columns were more personal — on aging, raising children, discipline, exercise, health — and very often drew many comments from readers. He was always excited to share those comments and I always appreciated reading them. In a recent column that celebrated the 30th year of Oswego County Business, Bruce explained his philosophy: “I have tried to enlighten readers on the challenges journalists have in crafting a readable and interesting story. The ability to synthesize thousands of words — sometimes screamed or spewed in emotional torrents — into a coherent report is an art form requiring skill, patience and talent. That is precisely what is expected of journalists each time they report and write.’’ Needless to say, over the years, he became a good friend, a mentor, someone always willing to listen and to offer advice. Very sad to see him go. We will miss him. Rest in peace, my friend.
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023
WAGNER DOTTO is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
ADVERTISING Peggy Kain
p3ggyk@gmail.com Jamie Elen jamieelocalnews@gmail.com SECRETARY Alisson Lockwood localnewsoffice@gmail.com LAYOUT & DESIGN Angel Campos Toro COVER PHOTO Chuck Wainwright
OSWEGOCOUNTYBUSINESS.COM OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS MAGAZINE is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., publisher of the Business Guide, Upstate Summer, Fall, & Winter guides, College Life Newspaper, In Good Health—The Healthcare Newspaper (across four regions) and 55 Plus Magazine for Active Adults in Rochester and Central New York. Subscription rate is $21.50 a year; $35 for two years. Single-copy price is $4.50. PRSRT STD US Postage PAID, Buffalo, NY, Permit No. 4725. © 2023 Oswego County Business. All rights reserved. No material from this publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher. HOW TO REACH US: P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126. Phone: 315-342-8020 Fax: 315-342-7776; editor@OswegoCountyBusiness.com
OVER 70 HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN ONE NETWORK!
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ADVERTISING INDEX Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home.........................30 ALPS Professional Services.........28 Ameriprise Financial (Randy Zeigler).......................24 Associated Dental Arts.................24 BarclayDamon..............................51 Bond, Schoeneck & King, Attorneys at Law.....................78 Brennan Beach.............................13 Bristol Racing ATV.......................12 Builder’s FirstSource....................31 Burke’s Home Center...................27 C & S Companies.........................67 Canale’s Insurance & Accounting ..........................21 Cayuga Community College.........79 Century 21 - Galloway Realty.......27 CNY Arts.......................................14 CNY Community Foundation........14 Colonial Financial Group..............21 Community Bank..........................19 Compass Credit Union.................33
ConnextCare..................................9 Constelation..................................24 Crouse Hospital..............................2 EJ USA...........................................4 Elemental Management Group ....39 Felix Schoeller North America......61 Finger Lakes Garage Doors.........27 Fitzgibbons Agency......................83 Foster Funeral Home....................38 Freedom Real Estate....................33 Fulton Oswego Motor Express.....74 Fulton Savings Bank.....................30 Fulton Taxi....................................33 Fulton Tool Co..............................74 Gartner Equipment.......................67 Good Guys Barbershoop..............31 Green Planet Grocery...................13 H. Lee White Museum..................12 Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY..................10 International Monetary System.....51 J P Jewelers.................................13 Johnston Gas...............................30
JTS Remodeling...........................28 Lamb’s Handyman Service...........28 Laser Transit.................................74 LDI Logistics Dynamics................27 Local 43 (NECA EBEW)...............71 Longley Brothers..........................17 LW Emporium Co-Op...................12 MACNY.........................................99 Menter Ambulance.......................38 Mimi’s Drive Inn............................25 Mitchell Speedway Printing..........33 Murdoch’s Bike.............................13 NBT Bank.....................................89 NET & Die Inc...............................85 Nicole Reed, Esq..........................30 Novelis........................................100 Nucor Steel Auburn......................11 Operation Oswego County...........99 Oswego County Federal Credit Union............................89 Oswego County Mutual Insurance................................83 Oswego Music Hall.......................17
Oswego Quality Carpet................28 Pathfinder Bank............................84 Patterson Warehousing................74 Plumley Engineering.....................85 Port of Oswego Authority................3 RiverHouse Restaurant................25 Riverside Artisans.........................13 Scriba Electric...............................27 SUNY Oswego...............................5 Sweet-Woods Memorial...............30 TDO..............................................74 The Rental Warehouse.................29 United Wire Technology...............71 Universal Metal Works..................83 Valti Graphics...............................29 Vashaw’s Collision........................29 Walker Rentals.......................... 31¬ Whelan & Curry Construction.......71 White’s Lumber & Building Supply.......................31 WRVO..............................................
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