June 30, 2006: “Spotlight on Our Economy” Monthly Column for The Palladium-Times
By L. Michael Treadwell, CEcD, Executive Director of Operation Oswego County

New Tenants Locate to the Business Expansion Center

Two new tenants have joined the ranks of small businesses that benefit from affordable rental space at Operation Oswego County’s small business incubator facility, the Oswego County Business Expansion Center (BEC), located on East Seneca Street in Oswego.

Under the Hammer Real Estate and Auction Company is a new business that will conduct on-site real estate and personal property auctions. The owner is a Micro-Enterprise Training Program graduate and plans to employ three people within the next year.

ILRT, Inc. is expanding its containment leak rate testing business conducted at nuclear power plants throughout the United States. The five-year-old company currently employs seven and hopes to add three or more people within the year.

The BEC is designed to help businesses achieve significant growth and development during the first few years of business with the goal of eventually moving out of the building and into private commercial space. Space is available for lease starting at $5.50 per square foot, or $4.50 per square foot for a manufacturing operation. The facility was established by OOC as an integral part of the Oswego Empire Zone program and potential tenants may also benefit from various EZ incentives if eligible.

The BEC’s other tenants include Davis Cleaning, LyBon Tool and Local News, Inc. which publishes the Oswego County Business Magazine and other specialty publications. Additionally, construction has begun to retrofit 5,800 square feet of the facility to accommodate the relocation of the Oswego County Board of Elections. The Board will utilize the facility for office space, poll worker training and to comply with new federal election laws, the secure storage and maintenance for all voting machines used throughout the county.

OOC’s other business incubator, the Start-Up Facility, is located immediately off state Route 481, exit 14 in the town of Schroeppel. The facility is currently fully leased by My Pet Enterprises, provider of My Doggy™ and My Kitty™ products for pets, and Fulton Machinery, a manufacturer of machinery components for the paper, film and foil converting and paper making industries.

In order to lease space in an OOC incubator facility, a tenant must:

• Be a for profit entity as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship;
• Be a new, start up business or an existing, expanding firm;
• Have growth potential with the prospects of creating a new product, technology or service, meeting a demand for services or creating new or expanded job opportunities;
• Must be operated on a full time basis, as the primary source of income for the primary principal; and
• Meet applicable zoning, building, fire and health codes.

Other potential tenants may include not for profit and/or educational related activities that are deemed appropriate and beneficial to the area's economy.

All applications for occupancy in the BEC must be accompanied by a complete business plan including appropriate financial statements and projections. Special consideration is given to:

• Existing small businesses operated on a part time basis prepared to begin full-time operations;
• Firms which suffer from space, management, marketing or financial problems which severely limit their growth
• New divisions of existing firms or research and development projects with parent companies seeking to separate from their main operations;
• Foothold plants for companies based outside Oswego County;
• Early retirees from industry, government or military who want to begin a second career; and
• Persons working to develop new technologies or to redirect present technologies.

If you’re interested in leasing space in the BEC, call my office at 343-1545. Information is also available at www.oswegocounty.org/incubators.html.

In other economic development news, Mahalaxmi Motels, LLC will acquire and renovate the former Redwood Inn in Pulaski which has been franchised as a Red Carpet Inn and a Scottish Inn and Suites. The new owner currently owns and operates the Scottish Inn and Suites and Days Inn in Oswego. The $1.3 million project will create and/or retain 13 jobs and will receive funding assistance from the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency, Oswego County National Bank and a Small Business Administration 504 loan through OOC.

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