Operation Oswego County recognizes and presents awards to a total of three businesses or organizations and two individuals each year at its Annual Meeting.

Ally Award

  • must be a municipality, for profit or not-for-profit organization,
  • must make a significant contribution to the economic development process in Oswego County, and
  • such contribution must be outstanding within the organization’s ordinary scope of services.
2022 Ally Award - Oswego County Airport

2022 Ally Award — Pictured are, from left, L. Michael Treadwell, OOC executive director, Brandon Schwerdt, Oswego County Airport manager, and Ellen Holst, OOC board president.

Past Recipients

  • 1987 Niagara Mohawk
  • 1988 County of Oswego Department of Employment & Training
  • 1989 NYS Department of Economic Development, CNY Regional Office
  • 1990 Oswego County BOCES
  • 1991 New York JDA
  • 1992 Ed Vayner & Associates
  • 1993 Greater Oswego Chamber of Commerce
  • 1994 Oswego County Building and Construction Trades Council
  • 1995 SUNY Oswego
  • 1996 Niagara Mohawk / Fulton Savings Bank
  • 1997 Oswego County Dept. of Planning & Community Development & Oswego County Planning Board
  • 1998 NYS Empire State Development
  • 1999 NYS Office of Recycling Market Development
  • 2000 U.S. Small Business Administration, Syracuse District Office
  • 2001 Local News, Inc.
  • 2002 SUNY Oswego SBDC
  • 2003 Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board
  • 2004 Niagara Mohawk
  • 2005 Empire State Development
  • 2006 International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers, Local 43 and the United Association Of Plumbers And Steamfitters, Local 73
  • 2007 Entergy Nuclear and Oswego County Public Utility Service
  • 2008 Port of Oswego Authority
  • 2009 U.S. Small Business Administration
  • 2010 National Grid
  • 2011 USDA Rural Development
  • 2012 CenterState CEO
  • 2013 Pathfinder Bank
  • 2014 Empire State Development Corporation
  • 2015 Oswego County Division of Employment and Training — One–Stop Center
  • 2016 Upstate Energy Jobs Coalition
  • 2017 CiTi BOCES
  • 2018 C&S Companies
  • 2019 Cayuga Community College — Fulton Campus
  • 2020 —
  • 2021 Richard S. Shineman Foundation
  • 2022 Oswego County Airport

Business Excellence Award

  • must be a private sector organization in Oswego County,
  • must show adaptation and growth in a competitive business environment,
  • must provide quality service and customer choice to its customers,
  • must have received professional recognition for recent accomplishments or have passed a unique milestone in history, and
  • must exhibit ongoing community service or support of community programs through donations of time and monetary resources.
2022 Business Excellence Award - Menter Ambulance

2022 Business Excellence Award — Pictured are, from left, L. Michael Treadwell, OOC executive director, Zachary Menter, Menter Ambulance president and CEO, and Ellen Holst, OOC board president.

Past Recipients

  • 1995 GEO Hotel Co., Inc.
  • 1996 Sithe Energies
  • 1997 Fulton Tool Company
  • 1998 Fulton Savings Bank
  • 1999 Oswego Health, Inc.
  • 2000 Agrilink Foods, Inc.
  • 2001 Wayne Drug Company
  • 2002 New York Bold, LLC
  • 2003 Entergy Nuclear Northeast
  • 2004 The Fulton Companies
  • 2005 Oswego County National Bank
  • 2006 Oswego Industries, Inc.
  • 2007 Eagle Beverage Company
  • 2008 Novelis
  • 2009 Bosco & Geers Food Market
  • 2010 HealthWay Home Products
  • 2011 Oswego County Opportunities, Inc.
  • 2012 Huhtamaki
  • 2013 R.M. Burritt Motors, Inc.
  • 2014 Pathfinder Industries
  • 2015 Behling Orchards
  • 2016 Universal Metal Works
  • 2017 Oswego Speedway
  • 2018 1886 Malt House
  • 2019 United Wire Technologies
  • 2020 —
  • 2021 Wiltsie Construction Company
  • 2022 Menter Ambulance

Jobs Award

  • must be a private sector employer in Oswego County,
  • must make a significant capital investment and/or significant creation/retention of jobs in Oswego County, and
  • must make a significant, overall impact on the Oswego County economy.
2022 Jobs Award - Novelis

2022 Jobs Award — Pictured are, from left, L. Michael Treadwell, OOC executive director, Kristen Nelson, Novelis Oswego plant manager, and Ellen Holst, OOC board president.

  • 1986 Blount Lumber
  • 1987 General Foods
  • 1988 Oswego Wire
  • 1989 Morrill Press
  • 1990 Alcan Aluminum Corporation
  • 1991 Hammermill Papers
  • 1992 Miller Brewery
  • 1993 St. Luke’s Health Care Facility
  • 1994 Nestle Chocolate & Confections
  • 1995 Reynolds Metals
  • 1996 Sealright Packaging Company
  • 1997 Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation
  • 1998 Oswego Wire, Inc.
  • 1999 Crysteel Manufacturing, Inc.
  • 2000 Seneca Hill Manor, Inc.
  • 2001 North Coast Software, Inc.
  • 2002 Huhtamaki Packaging Worldwide
  • 2003 Walmart of Central Square
  • 2004 Wise Buys Stores, Inc.
  • 2005 New York Chocolate and Confections Company
  • 2006 Lowe’s Home Improvement
  • 2007 Felix Schoeller Technical Papers
  • 2008 Kinney Drugs, Inc.
  • 2009 Constellation Energy
  • 2010 Oswego Health
  • 2011 Sunoco, Inc.
  • 2012 The Fulton Companies
  • 2013 Novelis Corporation
  • 2014 Felix Schoeller North America
  • 2015 Champlain Valley Specialty
  • 2016 Eagle Beverage Co.
  • 2017 Exelon
  • 2018 Morningstar Residential Care Center/The Gardens by Morningstar
  • 2019 EJ USA
  • 2020 —
  • 2021 ConnextCare
  • 2022 Novelis

Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award

  • must be an individual who has a business in Oswego County,
  • must bring an innovative product or service to Oswego County that acts as a catalyst for further economic growth, and
  • must assume considerable initiative and risk bringing their product or service to Oswego County.
2022 Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award - Elizabeth and Richard Hamilton

2022 Dee Heckethorn Award — Pictured are, from left, L. Michael Treadwell, OOC executive director, Richard and Elizabeth Hamilton, co-owners of Grace Tyler Estate Winery, and Ellen Holst, OOC board president.

Past Recipients

  • 2007 Douglas Caster
  • 2008 Pat Jones
  • 2009 Randy Yerden
  • 2010 Heidi Hazen-Forte
  • 2011 Edward Alberts
  • 2012 George (Buddy) Broadwell
  • 2013 Vincent G. Lobdell
  • 2014 Gregory Furlong & Patrick Furlong
  • 2015 Norman E. Swanson
  • 2016 Atom & Falecia Avery
  • 2017 Allen Chase
  • 2018 Dr. Padma Ram
  • 2019 Anthony M. Pauldine
  • 2020 —
  • 2021 Rebekah Alford
  • 2022 Elizabeth & Richard Hamilton

Martin Rose Economic Developer Merit Award

  • must be an individual who is not a professional economic developer,
  • must have a record of exhibiting outstanding leadership, support and/or cooperation in furthering economic development efforts in Oswego County, and
  • must have a record of creating and implementing economic development strategies which benefit Oswego County.
2022 Martin Rose Award - Michael Pollock

2022 Martin Rose Award — Pictured are, from left, L. Michael Treadwell, OOC executive director, Michael Pollock, retired president of Fulton Savings Bank, and Ellen Holst, OOC board president.

Past Recipients

  • 1986 H. Willard Pierce
  • 1987 F. Hosmer Culkin
  • 1988 Martin Rose
  • 1989 Eben Poland
  • 1990 Arthur Clawson
  • 1991 Hollis Iselin
  • 1992 Hon. John M. McHugh
  • 1993 Hon. H. Douglas Barclay
  • 1994 Donald S. Voorhies
  • 1995 Arthur W. Ospelt
  • 1996 Hon. James W. Wright
  • 1997 Louis R. Pettinelli
  • 1998 Hon. Frances Sullivan
  • 1999 Steven W. Thomas
  • 2000 Dee C. Heckethorn
  • 2001 Lawrence O’Brien, Sr.
  • 2002 Eugene G. Saloga
  • 2003 Carolyn A. Rush
  • 2004 Bruce B. Phelps
  • 2005 Nancy J. Bellow
  • 2006 Corte J. Spencer
  • 2007 William A. Barclay
  • 2008 Thomas S. Weatherup
  • 2009 George Joyce
  • 2010 Morris Sorbello
  • 2011 Deborah Stanley
  • 2012 Gary Toth
  • 2013 Ronald L. Woodward, Sr.
  • 2014 Ann C. Gilpin
  • 2015 Lawrence R. Perras
  • 2016 Thomas W. Schneider
  • 2017 Kevin Gardner
  • 2018 David Turner
  • 2019 David Dano
  • 2020 —
  • 2021 William Barlow
  • 2022 Michael Pollock