June 20, 2008-- Economic Development Agency Presents Annual Activity Summary, Achievement Awards

Operation Oswego County (OOC) held its 56th annual meeting at the SUNY Oswego Campus Center, Friday, June 20.

Key note presenter Tim Barry, senior vice president for O’Brien and Gere, an engineering and project delivery firm headquartered in Syracuse, spoke about the master plan for energy asset management and development at Riverview Business Park in the town of Volney. The plan will analyze existing energy assets, project future needs and opportunities, and quantify and qualify possible solutions with an emphasis on renewable and innovative technologies. National Grid awarded $134,389 to OOC to contract with O'Brien and Gere to conduct the study.

George Joyce, president of the OOC board of directors, reported that in 2007, projects assisted by OOC resulted in the creation or retention of 309 jobs with over $49 million in capital investment and 62 new, expanded or retained facilities.

Several of those projects were outlined at the meeting including:

• Allison Duggan, M.D. acquired and will renovate a 2,874 square foot building in the city of Oswego in order to expand her general surgery practice. The $314,000 project was funded by the IDA, a Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loan through OOC, and Pathfinder Bank;

• Bosco & Geers Food Market, in the city of Oswego, expanded its retail grocery store 2,000 square feet to include additions to its meat, deli and bakery areas. The $750,000 project created 10 jobs and was funded by the IDA, a SBA 504 loan through OOC, HSBC and the Oswego CDO;

• D&D Logging and Lumber, a town of Palermo-based manufacturer of hardwood grade boards used by the lumber and furniture industry, expanded its operation with the acquisition of a sawmill and a 900 square foot addition. The $407,000 project will create/retain 12 jobs and was funded by the IDA, a SBA 504 loan through OOC and Fulton Savings Bank;

• Fulton Tool, in the city of Fulton, acquired a new $430,000 milling center to expand machining capacity in the Fulton EZ, adding two jobs;

• Huhtamaki in Fulton invested $5.7 million in capital improvement projects including new production equipment, equipment upgrades and building improvements. The plant is located in the Fulton EZ and received discounted power from the Power for Progress program;

• Kinney Pharmacy relocated to an 11,598 square-foot new facility in the city of Fulton. The $2.5 million project retained 34 jobs and received funding from the IDA and Fulton Savings Bank;

• Linde’s BOC liquefaction plant in Volney will process 600 tons of C02 per day from Northeast Biofuels for sale to major food and beverage company customers. The $14 million project in the Fulton EZ will create 20 jobs;

• Northeast Biofuels: construction continued on the 114 million gallons-per-year corn to ethanol project in the town of Volney. The IDA assisted the project in the Fulton EZ. Production is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2008. In addition, Rep. John McHugh secured a grant from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development that was used to help finance the improvement of rail access at NEB;

• Novelis in Scriba invested $9 million for a new furnace to improve efficiencies by reducing a two-step process to one. Twenty jobs were added to the Oswego EZ plant;

• Oley’s East is a 2,304 square foot convenience store/gas station located in the town of Scriba. The $346,000 project created six jobs and received funding assistance from the IDA, a SBA 504 loan through OOC and Pathfinder Bank;

• Oswego Hamilton Homes, Phase I began on the $28 million project to redevelop 189 affordable housing units in the Hamilton Homes complex in Oswego. Funding assistance was provided by the IDA;

• Peebles completed the total reuse of the former Ames store in Oswego with the opening of its department store. The store, which features brand-name apparel, accessories, cosmetics and footwear, created 15 jobs;

• Riccelli Enterprises acquired the former Crysteel facility in the town of Volney and will provide transportation and warehousing services for the Riverview Business Park complex. The $2.5 million project was assisted by the IDA and will create 30-35 jobs;

• River House Restaurant is a new 3,500-square-foot, 124-seat facility located in the village of Pulaski. The $1 million project created 32 jobs and received funding assistance from the IDA, a SBA 504 loan through OOC, NYBDC and Community Bank;

• Southern Graphics Systems in the Oswego County Industrial Park in the town of Schroeppel completed a $1 million expansion that included the installation of a new copper plating line. The project was assisted by Empire State Development and discounted power from the Power for Progress program. Twenty-six jobs were retained and one created; and

• Tavern on the Lock is a new restaurant developed through the acquisition and remodeling of the former Lock II Restaurant in the city of Fulton. The $424,000 project created 20 jobs and financing was provided by the IDA and the Fulton CDA.

Three business organizations, a successful entrepreneur and a public official were also honored for significant contributions to economic development and job creation in Oswego County.

The Ally Award for 2008 was presented to the Port of Oswego Authority, recognizing it as an “ally” organization in the economic development process in Oswego County. The Port was recognized for moving more than one million tons of cargo through its terminals from April 2007 through March 2008, for the completion of several expansion projects including a $1.1 million reconstruction of a bulk storage building and a $175,000 rehabilitation of the west wharf for salt storage, and for initiating the rehabilitation of the port’s rail infrastructure and the development of a new maintenance facility.

The Business Excellence Award for 2008 was presented to Novelis for investing more than $30 million in equipment over the past three years resulting in new job growth, for a recent $9 million investment to install an energy-efficient aluminum melting furnace which enabled the addition of a new production line and a ten percent increase in production and for consistently being one of the largest private employers in Oswego County by employing more than 700. The company was also recognized for its support and sponsorship of community events throughout Oswego County.

The 2008 Jobs Award, recognizing significant capital investment as well as job creation and retention, was presented to Kinney Drugs, Inc. for its continued commitment to locate its pharmacy and retail stores throughout Oswego County and for employing more than 200 employees.

Pat Jones was the recipient of OOC’s Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award. Jones was recognized for his exceptional efforts, risks and initiatives he has taken to help foster economic activity to Oswego County through his role in the development of the Sithe Independence Station power generation facility in the town of Scriba in 1994, the expansion of log and lumbering manufacturer Great Lakes Veneer in Oswego, for his involvement in locating Sure-Lock Industries to Oswego in 2004, and for opening Patz on the River in the Oswego harbor.

Thomas Weatherup was honored with the 2008 Martin Rose Economic Developer Merit Award for playing a critical role in building the economy and quality of life in Central Square for the last 50 years by developing commercial property to attract many prominent businesses to the area, for helping to bring medical services to the community by developing and donating property to the Central Square Health Center and the Southern Oswego County Ambulance Service, for developing high-quality residential housing communities, and for serving his community as town of Hastings supervisor and assessor, and as a member of several volunteer organizations.

The OOC board of directors also recognized out-going president George Joyce, president of Laser Transit, Ltd., for providing two terms of distinguished service and valuable assistance in furthering economic development, job growth, capital investment and business expansion in Oswego County.

The new slate of officers elected to the board includes Nancy Bellow, director of SUNY Oswego’s Office of Business and Community Relations, as president; Steven Thomas, commercial real estate developer, as vice president; Michael Pollock, president of Fulton Savings Bank, as treasurer; and Alan Horna, general manager and CFO of Oswego Wire, Inc., as secretary.

Re-elected OOC board members include Ronald Darrow, retired, Sherwin-Williams; William Galloway, owner, Century-21 Galloway Realty; Paul Kurtzman, executive director, Oswego Industries; Louis Pettinelli, retired, Oswego County BOCES; Bruce Phelps, owner, Fulton Tool Company; Lloyd (Buddy) Stemple, vice president and general manager, Novelis; and Steve Thomas.

The OOC board of directors also elected Ann Gilpin, president and CEO of Oswego Health, Daniel Murphy, senior economic developer with National Grid, Ken Sherman of Sherman Vincent Associates and Peter Cullinan, emergency planning manager for Entergy to the board.

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