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Schumer, Gillibrand to feds: level the field and help NY dairy farmers churn up and milk profits

By Press Release

Press release:

Continuing their tireless advocacy for New York’s hard-hit dairy farmers in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to ensure both Canada and Mexico are held accountable to their trade commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which entered into force earlier this year on July 1st.

Specifically, the senators pointed out three harmful dairy trade practices, including Canada’s recent allocation of tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for U.S. exports of several categories of dairy products, Canada’s Class 7 pricing program (Class 6 in Ontario) and lack of transparency in milk-pricing regulations, and the need for Mexico to translate its USMCA commitment of safeguarding more than 30 common cheese names for American products, into regulations.

“New York’s dairy farmers are the lifeblood of the Upstate economy, but unfortunately they have been squeezed by the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis,” Senator Schumer said. “That is why I am calling on Ambassador Lighthizer and Secretary Perdue to do everything in their power to ensure that Canada and Mexico abide by their dairy trade obligations, allowing Upstate New York dairy farmers to freely sell their product – as agreed to in the new trade agreement with both countries, the USMCA.

"The trade deal entered into force two months ago, and there can be no further delays to ensuring our New York dairy farmers can sell their products, unimpeded by unfair trade barriers, into Canada and Mexico and churn up profits that mitigate the huge losses they have suffered this year.”

“Dairy is New York’s primary agricultural product and our rural economies depend on the survival of the industry, but poor implementation of USMCA provisions on dairy will harm our dairy farmers and make it even harder for them to recover from this crisis,” Senator Gillibrand said. "Secretary Perdue and USTR Ambassador Lighthizer must hold our trading partners accountable and ensure equitable trading practices for America’s dairy farmers.”

Schumer and Gillibrand explained that under USMCA, Canada agreed to an expansion of tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for several categories of U.S. dairy products. However, recently, it has come to the senators’ attention that Canada’s recently-released TRQ allocations weaken the intent of the USMCA and will prevent New York dairy farmers from fully benefitting from the agreement’s expanded market access opportunities.

Additionally, the senators said that under the new trade deal, Canada agreed to eliminate Class 6 & 7 pricing within six months. However, as Schumer revealed in June, Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO), which represents approximately 4,000 Canadian dairy farmers, requested that Ontario’s tribunal which provides an avenue of appeal on agriculture issues grant restricted access to DFO’s pricing regulations.

The senators argued that with only a few months left until the USMCA six-month deadline to eliminate Class 6 & 7, the lack of transparency and timing of DFO’s request  in combination with the new TRQs, raises questions about whether or not Canada is seeking to circumvent its dairy commitments in USMCA.

The senators also noted that U.S. dairy farmers secured a major victory in the USMCA when Mexico affirmed a list of more than 30 terms for cheese that would remain available as common names for U.S. cheese producers when exporting to Mexico, but with uncertainty remaining over how Mexico will translate its commitment to protect these common cheese names into regulations, U.S. dairy farmers are in danger of losing out on the market share they spent years developing.

L.B. Grand owners include pandemic-related restrictions on capacity as reason for closing restaurant

By Press Release

The Farmer Family released the following statement yesterday about their decision to close the L.B. Grand Restaurant in Le Roy.

To our patrons and community members,

After significant and careful consideration, it is with a heavy heart that we share with you we have made the decision to permanently close the L.B. Grand Steak and Spaghetti House restaurant.

This determination was not made lightly, and only after considerable review of all options. Despite our best efforts to succeed, over the past few months it has become increasingly apparent that keeping our doors open is no longer possible.

The factors that led to this decision are primarily a consequence of the pandemic including the resulting required closure and subsequent restrictions on indoor dining. With no available outdoor seating, a current mandated capacity of only 50% indoors, and the rising cost of food due to supply chain interruption, it is not feasible for us to continue operations.

We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to our wonderful staff for their years of service. A special thanks is in order for their truly exceptional resilience and patience over the last few months in handling continually changing regulations and procedures due to the pandemic. We sincerely appreciate their hard work and dedication.

In addition, we would like to thank the Piazza Family for the opportunity to be a part of the L.B. Grand family and to serve our community. We remain fully committed to the town of Le Roy and are proud that we are able to continue to provide service in other capacities.

Sincerely,
The Farmer Family

Video: After six-month hiatus due to COVID concerns, Batavia Downs is back

By Howard B. Owens
Video Sponsor
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The gaming floor at Batavia Downs reopened this week, along with Fortune's and the Backstretch Grill, and the Grandstands will be opening soon, after a six-month closure mandated by the State of New York in the battle against COVID-19.

Race fans, however, are still prohibited at this point from attending live harness racing.

-----------------

Update: Sept. 11, 3 p.m.

Even at a fourth of maximum capacity, Batavia Downs Gaming will be able to keep its employees on the job but, unfortunately, monetary distributions to the municipalities it serves will suffer.

That’s the perspective of Henry Wojtaszek, president and chief executive officer of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. that oversee operations at the casino, harness race track and OTB parlors in 15 counties plus the cities of Buffalo and Rochester.

A public benefit corporation, WROTB returns a portion of its profits to counties and the two metropolitan communities.

“You know, we've done the math, we've done some projections, and we certainly can pay our bills probably at 25 percent,” Wojtaszek said on Wednesday, the day the gaming facility was allowed to reopen – but only at a quarter of the maximum occupancy. “If we remain pretty steady, we can pay our bills. We can keep our employment levels pretty close to where we were before.”

Wojtaszek said “difficulty” comes into play when considering profit and return to municipalities – “which is obviously one of the big reasons why we exist.”

“We exist to make sure we create jobs and create an environment for people to have an entertainment venue, but also to return money to the municipality. So that's going to be a little tough. But I think for now, even at 25 percent, we can cover our costs.”

He said the business has to dig itself out of a “deep hole” caused by ongoing utility and building maintenance costs and unemployment insurance and by having to pay employees still on the job.

Despite the setbacks, Wojtaszek said he it is “very rewarding to see people come back so quickly.”

“We were having people call us all the time during the last six months," he said. "They were stopping at the front door. A lot of emails following our Facebook page. So, when we knew we had a pretty good following of people who want to come back here, we'd like to think we do deliver great customer service."

Batavia Downs has had to cancel its summer concert series due to the pandemic, but six of the eight bands have been rescheduled for next year, Wojtaszek said.

“And we’ve added two,” he said. “We have Queensrÿche signed up for sure. And then the eighth band will remain silent until I confirm it. But it's a great band. They'll be probably the best band we've ever had here.”

Jacobs calls on Senate Democrats to back relief bill that includes automatic PPP loan forgiveness

By Howard B. Owens

Statement from Rep. Chris Jacobs:

“The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has preserved roughly 12 million rural jobs during the pandemic and I support the $150,000 threshold for automatic forgiveness of a PPP loan included in the Senate GOP bill considered yesterday. Unfortunately, every Senate Democrat voted against advancing this critical legislation. Small businesses, workers, and families are facing a major uphill battle as we rebuild our economy, and Congress must act to provide critical relief. I urge the Democrats to stop playing games with American’s livelihoods and work with Republicans and the White House to advance something more than a partisan wish list.”

NOTE: The vast majority of $659 billion Paycheck Protection Program loans, 85 percent, were for $150,000 or less. These are very small businesses and independent contractors. These loans accounted for only 26 percent of the loans approved by the SBA. About 15 percent of the borrowers received 74 percent of the funds. Currently, these small businesses must complete a loan forgiveness form and provide documentation on how the money was distributed (payroll, rent, and utilities are the primary expenses eligible for forgiveness). With automatic forgiveness, these small businesses would need only submit a signed document stating that the funds were used within the guidelines of the program.

USDA seeks input for Agriculture Innovation Agenda

By Press Release

Press release:

To further the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) work on the Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA), USDA today announced it is seeking public- and private-sector input on the most innovative technologies and practices that can be readily deployed across U.S. agriculture.

USDA is looking for ready-to-go technologies and practices to achieve its goal of increasing agricultural production by 40 percent to meet global population needs in 2050 while cutting U.S. agriculture’s environmental footprint in half.

“Across America, we have seen significant advances in agricultural production efficiency and conservation performance during the past two decades,” said Under Secretary Bill Northey, who leads USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation mission area. “We want to keep the momentum. As part of our Agriculture Innovation Agenda, USDA wants to continue helping farmers access new approaches.”

To help identify and accelerate adoption of ready-to-go innovations, USDA is currently accepting public comments and written stakeholder input through its Request for Information (RFI) through Nov. 9, 2020, which is published on the Federal Register.

Input is welcome from the private sector, not for profits, farmers, forest sector, trade associations, commodity boards and others involved in the supply chain or development of widely applicable practices, management approaches or technologies.

A ready-to-go practice, technology or management approach includes those that are fully developed, have been field tested and have completed independent research trials.

Based on stakeholder input from the RFI, USDA will develop a comprehensive U.S. agriculture innovation technology strategy for our customer-facing programs.

USDA has launched a new AIA website where visitors can access information on the latest research and data, innovative conservation technologies offered via USDA programs, and other conservation resources. Visitors can also stay up to date on USDA’s accountability metrics and learn about the experiences of producers who share similar paths to success.

Background on USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda

The AIA is comprised of four main components. The first component is to develop a U.S. agriculture innovation strategy that aligns and synchronizes public- and private-sector research. The second component is to align the work of our customer-facing agencies and integrate innovative technologies and practices into USDA programs.

The third component is to conduct a review of USDA productivity and conservation data. USDA already closely tracks data on yield, but on the environmental side, there’s some catching up to do. Finally, USDA has set benchmarks to improve accountability. These targets will help measure progress toward meeting future food, fiber, fuel, feed and climate demands.

Some of the benchmarks include:

  • Agricultural Productivity: Increase agricultural production by 40 percent by 2050 to do our part to meet estimated future demand.
  • Forest Management: Build landscape resiliency by investing in active forest management and forest restoration through increased Shared Stewardship Agreements with states.
  • Food loss and waste: Advance our work toward the goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50 percent in the United States by the year 2030.
  • Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas: Enhance carbon sequestration through soil health and forestry, leverage the agricultural sector’s renewable energy benefits for the economy and capitalize on innovative technologies and practices to achieve net reduction of the agricultural sector’s current carbon footprint by 2050 without regulatory overreach.
  • Water Quality: Reduce nutrient loss by 30 percent nationally by 2050.
  • Renewable Energy: Increase the production of renewable energy feedstocks and set a goal to increase biofuel production efficiency and competitiveness to achieve market-driven blend rates of 15% of transportation fuels in 2030 and 30 percent of transportation fuels by 2050.
View the RFI on the Federal Register, or download it here (PDF, 247 KB). For more information about the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, please visit www.usda.gov/aia.

GCEDC board approved downtown redevelopment project

By Press Release

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors approved incentives for a building renovation project in the City of Batavia at its Sept. 3 board meeting. 

Neppalli Holdings LLC will invest approximately $1.165 million to renovate a three-story building at 99 Main St. in Downtown Batavia. The renovation and redevelopment of the 7,500-square-foot building, which was built in 1865, includes a new storefront, façade, and reconstruction of the existing three floors.

A dental practice will reside on the first floor with the second floor being developed for commercial office space. The third floor will include two two-bedroom market-rate apartments.

Neppalli Holdings LLC is the latest transformational building renovation project to proceed in Downtown Batavia through Governor Cuomo’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI).

The project will be receiving sales and mortgage tax benefits totaling $63,500.

GCEDC board adopts 2021 budget

By Press Release

Press release:

The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) adopted their 2021 budget at the board’s Sept. 4 meeting with projected expenditures of approximately $23.3 million.

The budget includes $21.1 million in grants for the continued development of infrastructure at the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (WNY STAMP), of which $19.5 million is earmarked for the advancement of Phase I infrastructure at the campus (remaining funds from the original $33 million state allocation); and, $1.6 million dedicated to the advancement of Phase II infrastructure (initial funds from the $8 million Empire State Development grant).

The 1,250-acre WNY STAMP campus in the Town of Alabama is the largest high-tech greenfield site in New York with a capacity of low-cost hydropower for energy-intensive industries and a labor shed of approximately two million workers from the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions.

“The GCEDC is building WNY STAMP and STAMP’s North Campus and South Campus as a catalyst for the success of the people of Genesee County and companies that will create a stronger future in our region,” said Peter Zeliff, chairman of the GCEDC.

As a public benefit corporation, the GCEDC generates fees from economic development projects and other sources to run the agency’s operations, programs, and services.

The GCEDC anticipates $375,000 in revenues from project origination fees and $3,300 in revenues from revolving loan fund interest and $280,000 in project revenues recognized in previous years. Revenues also include a $300,000 grant that will be allocated by the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GGLDC) to support the agency’s overall Economic Development Program.

“There is a large body of work that occurs at this agency each year, and I am pleased that we continue to find resourceful ways to serve the businesses and citizens of Genesee County,” said Lezlie Farrell, CFO of the GCEDC. “Operating expenditures have been controlled and reduced wherever possible.”

The GCEDC budget anticipates a $233,000 allocation by Genesee County to support economic development that results in a growing return on investments to the county. In 2019, the last full year of data available, GCEDC projects (current and expired) produced over $5.03 million in combined PILOT payments and property taxes to local taxing jurisdictions.

“Genesee County is a vital partner in our efforts to bring new business and growth to our region. We rely on the Genesee County Legislature to support our budget and operations so we can continue to enable business and community success,” Zeliff said. “In 2019, Genesee County and local taxing jurisdictions benefited from 21.5 dollars returned on every dollar allocated to GCEDC operations.”

Upstate Niagara Cooperative primed to jump-start Batavia plant as Town applies for $750,000 grant

By Mike Pettinella

The passing of a resolution authorizing the Town of Batavia to apply for a $750,000 New York State grant is welcome news to officials of Upstate Niagara Cooperative Inc., the dairy farmer-owned conglomerate that purchased the former Alpina Foods plant in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park on East Main Street Road.

“We’re targeting on opening as soon as reasonably possible pending the OCR (Office of Community Renewal Community Development Block Grant) approval and equipment ordering, as we need additional equipment for the facility,” said Mike Patterson, chief financial officer for the company – formed in 2006 as a result of a merger between Upstate Farms Cooperative and Niagara Milk Cooperative.

The Batavia Town Board this afternoon passed the measure, along with another OCR grant application for the same amount for a $21.6 million project at HP Hood LLC, in the Agri-Business Park to install a new filler line. The HP Hood plan would created about 56 new jobs, including positions that would provide entry-level employee training.

The Alpina plant has been vacant for the last 18 months following Upstate’s $22.5 million purchase of what was a $60 million investment by Alpina, a Colombia-based company that attempted to break into the U.S. Greek yogurt market more than six years ago.

Patterson said company leaders have been “trying to figure out the best use for the plant,” adding that they spent another $1 million since the acquisition and are investing an additional $4,040,000 to get the processing plant up and running.

Currently, Upstate has employees working at its membership office in the R.E. Chapin building and at the O-At-Ka Milk Products facility, both on Ellicott Street Road.

All told, the cooperative employs 1,800 people in New York, Patterson said, with the opening of the Batavia plant expected to create 50 more jobs.

Patterson said the OCR grant will support the purchase of necessary equipment and the training of new employees.

“One of the toughest issues we face in this area is finding qualified help, so we’re trying to get employees that are ready to be trained, and they will be brought into our manufacturing sites – not only for us but for Hood and O-At-Ka and other places,” he said. “It was all part of this project.”

The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation, an arm of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, is acting as a pass-through for the grant/loan to reach Upstate.

“We get involved with the Office of Community Renewal and have done a bunch of these projects throughout time when we get great companies investing in Genesee County,” said Chris Suozzi, GCEDC vice president of Business Development. “We want to be able to help them out.”

He said the OCR program has been “our friend” and is confident that Upstate will receive the grant.

“It’s one of the great grant or low-interest loan programs,” he said. “The grant program is kind of how we’ve devised it with the companies, and it helps them continue to grow.”

Patterson said the current project does not include any tax incentives from the GCEDC.

“The original IDA (Industrial Development Agency) tax abatements were given to Alpina when they built the facility. There is no new additional IDA money that way for that (but) there would be on any future expansion.”

NYS Insurance Fund announces new program that rewards businesses for buying COVID-19 PPE

By Press Release

Press release:

New York State’s largest workers’ compensation carrier – the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) – introduced a new COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Premium Credit Program that will make it more affordable for its policyholders to get back to business.

Under the new initiative, current workers’ comp policyholders can earn a 5-percent credit of their annual premium on the purchase of PPE, with a maximum reimbursement of $500. 

The program is designed to help offset the cost of vital PPE and safety-related items needed to help protect workers from the COVID-19 virus. Eligible equipment includes masks, goggles, gloves, gowns, hand sanitizer and other COVID-19 safety related items. 

“With the PPE Premium Credit Program, we aim to assist companies around the state make the transition back to work in a safe and affordable way,” said Eric Madoff, executive director and CEO of NYSIF. “As a partner in safety, we are here to help our policyholders keep themselves, their employees and their businesses protected.”

NYSIF is among the top 10 largest workers’ compensation carriers in the nation, insuring approximately 150,000 policyholders in New York State.

For more details on NYSIF’s COVID-19 PPE Premium Credit Program, as well as training materials on how businesses can protect their workers, please visit www.nysif.com/PPEinfo

About the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF)

The New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) was established in 1914 as part of the original enactment of the New York State Workers’ Compensation Law. NYSIF's mission is to guarantee the availability of workers’ compensation insurance at the lowest possible cost to New York employers and to provide timely, appropriate indemnity and medical payments to injured workers, while maintaining a solvent fund. Since inception, NYSIF has fulfilled the dual roles for which it was created: to compete with other carriers to ensure a fair marketplace and to be a guaranteed source of coverage for employers who cannot secure coverage elsewhere.

NYSIF is the largest workers’ compensation carrier in New York State and among the top 10 largest workers’ compensation carriers in the nation, insuring approximately 150,000 policyholders, with more than $2 billion in annual premium and $18 billion in assets. A self-supporting insurance carrier, NYSIF operates without taxpayer funding. 

In addition to workers’ compensation insurance, NYSIF provides disability benefits coverage for off-the-job injuries to more than 61,000 New York employers. In 2018, NYSIF added paid family leave as a component of its disability benefits product, providing New Yorkers with job-protected, paid time away from work to care for their families. 

For more information, visit www.nysif.com.

Hawley advocates for support of farmers' economics in virtual hearing on laborers' overtime

By Press Release

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley recently testified in a virtual Zoom New York State Department of Labor public hearing regarding an upcoming decision on resetting the overtime threshold for farm laborers.

Concerned with the rashness of the actions attempted to be taken on this issue, during a pandemic, Hawley suggested that a delay in the decision-making would be most advantageous for farmers and their farms, and that the state should be doing as little as possible to interfere with their already modest margins.

“As someone with farming experience myself, I can tell you that however well-intentioned the lowering of the overtime threshold is for the farm workers, the actual farm employers themselves won’t be able to sustain these changes; certainly not in the economic world we’re living in right now,” Hawley said. “The last thing New York needs to be looking to do is strangle our farms and our farmers into submission.”

Hawley said during his testimony on Monday, “Why would we want to increase costs for our agricultural producers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic economic calamity? Workers are considered family; average wages are $13 an hour. In many cases, housing and food are provided.

"Even during good economic times, implementing mandatory increased labor costs for agriculture is a bad idea. Farmers have little to no control over prices they receive for their product, and with variations in factors like weather, long hours are necessary.”

In a closing note, Hawley said, “We need to protect New York state’s number one industry: Agriculture. [We should] delay the implementation of lowering the overtime threshold.”

ESL Federal Credit Union wins Home Possible RISE Awards from Freddie Mac

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Today, Sept. 1, Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) announced the winners of its Home Possible RISE AwardsSM. The annual program, RISE (Recognizing Individuals for Sustained Excellence), salutes Freddie Mac’s top clients across multiple categories for excellence with Home Possible® mortgages – Freddie Mac’s affordable lending solution for low- to-moderate-income home buyers.

ESL Federal Credit Union, which has a branch in Batavia, earned the following Home Possible RISE Awards:

  • Home Possible RISE Award for Greatest Volume in a specific community;
  • Home Possible RISE Award for Education to customers.

In 2019, ESL Federal Credit Union made homeownership possible for low and moderate income households by providing more than 200 Home Possible mortgage loans totaling approximately $24 million.

“ESL is honored to be recognized by Freddie Mac as a top performer for our efforts supporting homeownership for low- and moderate-income members, first-time homebuyers and underserved communities,” said Tony Holmes, vice president/director, mortgage lending, ESL Federal Credit Union.

“The Home Possible mortgage program is a perfect match for our efforts to improve access to homeownership throughout Greater Rochester. I commend our outstanding team for their work to guide our members through the process to help them achieve their dreams of homeownership.”

The Home Possible RISE Awards combined volume from national Home Possible and Home Possible Advantage mortgage options. Lenders must be active Freddie Mac Seller/Servicers, and correspondent lenders and brokers must originate through those Seller/Servicers. Freddie Mac reviewed 2019 data and awarded the top organizations among several categories.

The complete list of the award winners is available at FreddieMac.com/HomePossible/RISE.

About ESL Federal Credit Union

With 100 years of locally owned history, ESL Federal Credit Union serves as a full-service financial institution to more than 374,000 members. Founded in 1920, the company provides personal banking, business banking, mortgage services and wealth management services through its locally-based 22 branch network, telephone, mobile, online and live chat center.

The Rochester-based financial institution employs approximately 850 people in the Greater Rochester area and holds more than $7.3 billion in assets. Since 1996, ESL has paid out 25 consecutive Owners’ Dividends to its members totaling more than $170 million. The company has appeared on the Great Place to Work® Best Small & Medium Workplaces list for nine years since 2010.

ESL Federal Credit Union is headquartered at 225 Chestnut St., in Rochester, and can be found online at www.esl.org

About Freddie Mac

Freddie Mac makes home possible for millions of families and individuals by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Since our creation by Congress in 1970, we’ve made housing more accessible and affordable for homebuyers and renters in communities nationwide. We are building a better housing finance system for homebuyers, renters, lenders, investors, and taxpayers. Learn more at FreddieMac.com, Twitter @FreddieMac, and Freddie Mac’s blog FreddieMac.com/blog.

GCEDC board to consider assistance for Main Street renovation project

By Press Release

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider final approval for a building renovation project in the City of Batavia at its Sept. 3 board meeting. 

Neppalli Holdings LLC is proposing to invest approximately $1.165 million to renovate a three-story building at 99 Main St. in Downtown Batavia. The renovation and redevelopment of the 7,500-square-foot building, which was built in 1865, would include a new storefront, façade and reconstruction of the existing three floors.

A dental practice will occupy the first floor with the second floor being developed for commercial office space. The third floor will include a pair of two-bedroom market-rate apartments.

Neppalli Holdings LLC is the latest transformational building renovation project to proceed in Downtown Batavia through Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI).

The project is requesting sales and mortgage tax benefits totaling $63,500.

The GCEDC Board meeting will take place at 4 p.m. this Thursday. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic the meeting will be conducted via conference and online at www.gcedc.com.

USDA helps lenders apply for loan guarantees to support rural investments

By Press Release

Press release:

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand today announced that USDA is implementing the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative, releasing new information on rates and terms that will help lenders apply for loan guarantees to support rural businesses, infrastructure and community facilities and increase private investments in rural America.

Ahead of Fiscal Year 2021, USDA is providing guarantee percentages, annual fees, periodic retention fees, and optional construction fees to help lenders apply for the Agency’s four flagship loan guarantee programs. These programs are:

The fees in this notice are effective Oct. 1. Additional information is available in the Aug. 3 Federal Register (PDF, 203 KB).

Background:

Today’s announcement comes as part of the Administration’s commitment to cut red tape and streamline regulations to increase private investment under the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative.

On July 13, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that USDA is taking steps to increase private investment in rural communities across the country by making it easier for lenders to access four flagship loan guarantee programs.

Through a series of regulatory reforms, USDA is eliminating duplicative processes and launching a single platform for the Agency’s four key loan guarantee programs.

USDA is also standardizing requirements for credit reviews, loan processing, loan servicing and loss claims. These measures will make the application process simpler and faster for lenders.

The regulatory changes will take effect on Oct. 1. Additional information is available on page 42494 of the July 14 Federal Register (PDF, 889 KB).

Interested parties may join the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative subscription list to receive updates from USDA on this initiative.

To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

Closure of Darien Lake, Batavia Downs, contributing to continued high unemployment number locally

By Howard B. Owens

Genesee County's unemployment rate is back over 10 percent for July after a small dip to 9.5 percent in June.

The 2020 rate of 10.6 percent is 7 percentage points higher than it was a year ago.

Genesee County's unemployment rate had mostly stay between 6 percent and 3 percent, depending on the time of year, going back to 2015, and then the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic hit and many people started to shelter in place at the same time the government severely restricted business activity.  

In March, the month the first lockdown orders were issued, the county's unemployment rate was 4.9 percent. In April, it jumped to 14.4 percent, then fell to 10.1 percent in May.

A year ago in July, it was 3.5 percent.

One big factor in the local unemployment numbers is the county's largest seasonal employer, Darien Lake Theme Park, has not been allowed to reopen. The park employs more than 1,000 people every summer.

Another significant local employer that remains closed is Batavia Downs, which this time of year would have at least 450 people on the workforce.

There are currently 3,200 work-eligible people living in Genesee County who do not have jobs. A year ago, there were 1,100 people looking for work who reported they couldn't find a job that suited their qualifications.

At the hight of the previous recession. the high July number for unemployed people was 2,400.

Ranzenhofer encourages farmworkers, farm owners to submit testimony to NYS Labor Board about overtime pay

By Press Release

Press release:

As part of the 2019 Farm Labor Bill, the Commissioner of Labor is required to convene a wage board to hold hearings to solicit input on the impact of the new law and make recommendations for overtime work.

Under the 2019 Farm Labor Bill, farm workers became eligible for overtime compensation starting in 2020, for any work over 60 hours per week.

Senator Ranzenhofer has issued the following statement:

“I would encourage all farmers and farmworkers to submit their testimony to the Board. It is so important that our Upstate farmers be heard and respected. Last year, when I hosted a farm roundtable, tour and community meeting with the bill’s sponsor, Senator Ramos, we heard many concerns from both farmworkers and farm owners.

“I know this bill was detrimental to our local farms and Upstate economy and I fervently hope that our farmers and farmworkers take the time to express their concerns with the wage board. Agriculture is a huge part of the economy of New York State and Upstate. These concerns need to be heard.”

To submit your testimonial, email wageboard@labor.ny.gov. You can also find the links to Zoom virtual meetings of the hearings on the State Labor website here.

Blue Jays flying high in Buffalo with signage installed by Le Roy company

By Howard B. Owens

When it came time for the Toronto Blue Jays to build a new nest for the 2020 season, a local company was called on to make Sahlen Field in Buffalo look like home.

Unitech Applications opened in Le Roy in 1989 and owner Guy Laesser focused on the bigging on landing big-business clients. The company specializing in large-scale vinyl design applications, like car wraps but on large vehicles -- trucks, buses -- and buildings.

The effort paid off in a big way in 1996 when he was hired to wrap all buses for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Since then, Unitech has been Laesser's full-time occupation.

He calls himself a perfectionist and that has helped the company grow. Other clients include the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign, Dick's Sporting Goods, Old Navy, Ice Road Truckers, the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans, and Scooby-Doo's "The Mystery Machine" movie tour.

It's no wonder, then, when the Blue Jays called 3M looking for a company to work within the Buffalo region to get Sahlen MLB-ready, 3M recommended Unitech.

"Our job is to provide whatever the client needs," Laesser said.

When the Blue Jays wanted a wrap on the scoreboard, Laesser, who doesn't like getting up higher than 12 feet himself, had a friend who did just that kind of work, so he called him to complete that part of the project all in the name of taking care of the client.

For the Blue Jays, Unitech provided signage and wraps for the concourse, the dugouts, the stands, and the outfield walls. The company even used vinyl to tint the windows on the tents being used as the visiting team's locker room.

That wasn't as big of a frosted vinyl project as Unitech did for a company in NYC, which involved wrapping a 40,000-square-foot building.

Not every project Laesser and his lone full-time employee Fred Crimes take on is all that big. The company also wraps the covers of medical equipment used to treat children going through cancer treatment.

Unitech also supports the charity Special Spaces, which provides unique and specially designed bedrooms for children going through cancer treatment.

"That (the vinyl wall covering) was the biggest bill they had, it cost the most, so when we got involved, we volunteered all of the time and material so it didn't cost them anything and they could put their money elsewhere," Laesser said.

Batavia-based Graham Corp. lands $11M contracts for three oil-refining projects in Asia

By Billie Owens

Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM), a Batavia-based global business that designs, manufactures and sells critical equipment for the oil refining, petrochemical and defense industries, on Thursday announced that it secured $11 million in orders for three oil-refining projects in Asia.

Two projects are in Southeast Asia while the largest project is the first large order received in India by the Company and is with a new customer.

James R. Lines, Graham’s president and chief executive officer, said, “We believe our effective execution on strategy and our consultative selling platform enabled us to capture these awards during a period of intense competition and focus on price.

"We believe that our decision to localize in India provided us the opportunity to successfully compete on that project and is also keeping the bid pipeline in that country quite active. We continued to leverage our global fabrication supply chain where appropriate in order to compete effectively, and we stayed engaged throughout the nearly two year pipeline cycle with both buyers and end users to ensure we addressed their requirements.”

Foxprowl, started as a dream, celebrating 10 years of reality

By Howard B. Owens

Ten years ago, Bill Hume told The Batavian he was living his dream.

He had just opened Foxprowl Collectables at 440 Ellicott St., Batavia, and was excited to translate his passion for action figures and comic book heroes into a real business.

In 2020, the dream is still alive even if there have been challenges over the past decade.

Hume expanded his Ellicott Street location for awhile, tried a location at Jackson and Main for awhile tried selling just online for awhile, even hosted a couple of collectible conventions in Batavia. Each step of the way he's had to make adjustments, but all along he kept the dream alive.

"People started shopping on the internet more and my sales were going down and then sales started going down because the merchandise that I carry started becoming predominate in Target and Walmart and more mainstream with the success Marvel and Star Wars movies," Hume said. "I came to what was kind of tough realization that you’ve got to teach an old dog new tricks. First, it was, ‘what’s wrong with the people?’ and then I came to the realization that it's me not changing with the times. It was a little difficult to swallow."

He made the changes needed, reducing overhead, switching up inventory, and changing his marketing message, and even so, despite the challenges of a global pandemic, the dream is still alive.

He intends to be around for Foxprowl's 20th anniversary in 10 years, he said, as a "staple in the community."

Top photo: Bill Hume, wife and co-owner Joy Hume, and staff member Brenden Gillard.

File Photo: Bill Hume shortly after Foxprowl opened in 2010.

Previously: Batavia native opens pop culture collectibles store on Ellicott Street

For all of our Foxprowl coverage over the years, click here.

Tops Friendly Markets adds beer and other adult beverages to curbside and delivery service, must show driver's license

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Beginning this month, Tops Friendly Markets* began offering another 1,800 new reasons for its customers to use the convenience of curbside or home delivery -- the bonus of adding alcohol to their online order.

Order all your favorite beers, seltzers and more adult beverages online with Tops! Shop online, sit back and we’ll be at your door in as little as one hour!

“This digital evolution will bring an enhanced shopping experience for our customers, and sets Tops apart in the marketplace as the first retailer to offer this added convenience to its customers,” said Ed Rick, director, consumer marketing & digital for Tops.

Customers will be asked to provide a valid driver’s license in order to close out their order whether it is a curbside pickup or a home delivery. Deliveries will not be left at a customer’s residence until this transaction is completed.

Visit instacart.topsmarkets.com https://instacart.topsmarkets.com/store/tops-markets/departments/32211/aisles/173099 to schedule same day delivery or a pickup order now!

*Available in NYS Tops Grocery Pick Up & Delivery stores only.

USDA adds more CFAP commodities, extends deadline for farmers to apply

By Press Release

From the USDA:

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that additional commodities are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) in response to public comments and data. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to apply for the program to Sept. 11th, and producers with approved applications will receive their final payment.

After reviewing more than 1,700 responses, even more farmers and ranchers will have the opportunity for assistance to help keep operations afloat during these tough times.

“CFAP is just one of the many ways USDA is helping producers weather the impacts of the pandemic," Perdue said. "From deferring payments on loans to adding flexibilities to crop insurance and reporting deadlines, USDA has been leveraging many tools to help producers.” 

Background:

USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of additional commodities through June 22. The following additional commodities are now eligible for CFAP:

  • Specialty Crops -- aloe leaves, bananas, batatas, bok choy, carambola (star fruit), cherimoya, chervil (french parsley), citron, curry leaves, daikon, dates, dill, donqua (winter melon), dragon fruit (red pitaya), endive, escarole, filberts, frisee, horseradish, kohlrabi, kumquats, leeks, mamey sapote, maple sap (for maple syrup), mesculin mix, microgreens, nectarines, parsley, persimmons, plantains, pomegranates, pummelos, pumpkins, rutabagas, shallots, tangelos, turnips/celeriac, turmeric, upland/winter cress, water cress, yautia/malanga, and yuca/cassava.
  • Non-Specialty Crops and Livestock -- liquid eggs, frozen eggs and all sheep. Only lambs and yearlings (sheep less than two years old) were previously eligible. 
  • Aquaculture -- catfish, crawfish, largemouth bass and carp sold live as foodfish, hybrid striped bass, red drum, salmon, sturgeon, tilapia, trout, ornamental/tropical fish, and recreational sportfish.
  • Nursery Crops and Flowers -- nursery crops and cut flowers.

Other changes to CFAP include:

  • Seven commodities – onions (green), pistachios, peppermint, spearmint, walnuts and watermelons – are now eligible for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability (CARES) Act funding for sales losses. Originally, these commodities were only eligible for payments on marketing adjustments.
  • Correcting payment rates for onions (green), pistachios, peppermint, spearmint, walnuts, and watermelons.

Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the Notice of Funding Availability and Final Rule Correction and at www.farmers.gov/cfap.

Producers Who Have Applied:

To ensure availability of funding, producers with approved applications initially received 80 percent of their payments. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will automatically issue the remaining 20 percent of the calculated payment to eligible producers. Going forward, producers who apply for CFAP will receive 100 percent of their total payment, not to exceed the payment limit, when their applications are approved.

Applying for CFAP:

Producers, especially those who have not worked with FSA previously, are recommended to call (877) 508-8364 to begin the application process. An FSA staff member can help producers start their application during the phone call. On farmers.gov/cfap, producers can:

  • Download the AD-3114 application form and manually complete the form to submit to their local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to their local office or office drop box. 
  • Complete the application form using the CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, then signed and submitted to their local USDA Service Center. 
  • If producers have login credentials known as eAuthentication, they can use the online CFAP Application Portal to certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center.  

All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap. For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file. 

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment.

Service Centers that are open for appointments will prescreen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with our producers in the office, by phone and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

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