Business

Name redacted upon request, 41, of Rosemary Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd, speeding, and failure to obey a police officer. xxx is accused of failing to yield for a patrol vehicle's emergency lights on Jan. 10 at 8:53 p.m. on Bloomingdale Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, and then, when he did stop, running from the vehicle. Once apprehended, he was transported to the Genesee County Jail for processing and then released on an appearance ticket.

Antonio Elmer Sosa-Martinez, 33, of West Academy Street, Albion, is charged with DWI, moving from lane unsafely, drinking alcohol or using cannabis in a motor vehicle on a highway, and unlicensed driver. Sosa-Martinez reportedly crashed his work van on Warsaw Road in Le Roy at 8:14 p.m. on Jan. 7. After an investigation by Deputy Mason Schultz and Deputy Jacob Kipler, Sosa-Martinez was placed in custody. He was transported to the Genesee County Jail for processing and released.

John James Gronowski, 45, of Cayuga Circle Road, Cheektowaga, is charged with criminal trespass 3rd. Gronowski was allegedly at Batavia Downs after previously being told he was not allowed on the property. He was issued an appearance ticket and released.

David Charles Pfenninger, Jr., 44, of Fargo Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and moving from lane unsafely. Pfenninger was reportedly found in his vehicle stuck in a ditch on Route 77, Pembroke, at 1:10 a.m. Jan. 13 by Deputy James Stack. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Jordan Roger Difilippo, 29, of Pratt Road, Pembroke, is charged with sex offender failing to report change of address/status. Difilippo was arrested on Jan. 12 for allegedly failing to disclose an email address to the Department of Probation. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Paul Crawford, 54, of Old Meadow Lane, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and driving on a suspended registration.  Crawford was arrested on Jan. 12 after being located on Old Meadow Lane at 9:02 p.m. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Timothy Ting Hsia, 33, of Sinclair Street, Mckeesport, Pa., is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, unlicensed driver, and failure to use four-way flashers. Hsia was stopped at 6:05 a.m. on Jan. 14 on Genesee Street, Pembroke, by Deputy Ayrton Blankenship.

Matthew J. Zon, 41, of South Byron, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Zon was arrested on Jan. 12 by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 3:09 p.m. on Oct. 15 in the Town of Byron. According to the statute cited, Zon reportedly has a prior criminal contempt conviction. He was released on his own recognizance. 

Kim M. Sobczak, 60, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Sobczak was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported on Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. in the Town of Batavia. She was released on an appearance ticket. No other information released.

Press release:

Over the Christmas Holiday, a water pipe burst in three places flooding the drive-thru and back office operations of Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union. This was discovered after hours on Monday, Dec. 26, and resulted in the immediate closure of our ATM and drive-thru teller services, and a relocation of our back office teams, as the north/west side of the building suffered substantial flooding and water damage.

On Tuesday, Dec. 27, we were able to open our lobby as regularly scheduled for our members. A construction team was brought on-site immediately to remove all wet debris, and as of today, that mitigation is complete. Rebuilding our drive-thru teller service as well as our back office operations is underway. Our ATM is up and running. Other fee-free ATMs are available at 7-11 Convenience Stores in the area as follows:

• 550 East Main Street, Batavia
• 25 South Main Street, Oakfield
• 91 Market Street, Attica
• 8400 Buffalo Road, Bergen

Our thanks and appreciation to the City of Batavia Fire Department, the City of Batavia Bureau of Maintenance, Issac Heating, Lawley Insurance, Kircher Construction, Rapid Dry, Seibold, ARCA, and all of our business partners who were on site within 12 hours to begin clean-up efforts and to assist our team with the necessary tools to ensure business continuity.

We anticipate we will be under construction for the next few months. We are hopeful for a reopening date in April 2023 for our drive-thru teller services. As this fluid situation continues to unfold, updates will be made available on our website www.tvfcubatavia.com

TVFCU members can continue to utilize our lobby teller services, our branch team, and our electronic services until our drive-thru is rebuilt. If you are a TVFCU member and need assistance conducting your banking transactions, please call our branch team at 585-343- 5627 or visit our website www.tvfcubatavia.com

Thank you for your patience as we rebuild to better serve your banking needs. 

The developers of a planned 100-acre distribution center are confident they've selected a unique and ideal location for such a facility -- halfway between Rochester and Buffalo along a stretch of Thruway with few other appropriately zoned sites.

"I think we all know why this is a great site for this particular use," Buffalo-based attorney Sean Hopkins said to the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday evening. "I was actually looking at the county IDA (Industrial Development Agency/GCEDC) website. I believe what it says is this is well within a one-day drive for a tractor-trailer (to an area) of 2.8 million people, and we were obviously right on the Thruway. It's an excellent location. If you look in the Rochester market, you look in the Buffalo market -- there is a shortage of this type of use."

The location is on Route 77, across from the Flying-J, close to the 48-A Thruway Interchange.

Horizon Acres Associations of Spring Valley is the lead applicant. Geis Companies, of Ohio, is the developer. Metzger Civil Engineering presented the application for a Site Plan Review to the board.

After the presentation, the board recommended approval with modifications of required permits from the state Department of Transportation, that the applicants receive comments on the application from the Pembroke Fire Department, and that the site complies with 9-1-1 address requirements.

Geis currently has no tenants committed to any of the six buildings planned for the property but at build-out, within an estimated five years, the various warehouses should employ at least 400 people.

"This would be flex industrial buildings designed to attract potentially different-sized tenants," said Michael Metzger (on right in top photo). "We've had conversations with potential tenants, but nothing that is ready to be committed at this point." 

The developers hope to begin construction this year, at least getting the site graded and ready for construction, if not "going vertical" on at least two of the six buildings.  The six buildings combined will offer 1.5 million square feet of warehouse space and cost more than $142 million to construct.

"I think that documentation demonstrates that, in terms of the build-out of the project, we're hoping that this would occur in approximately five years," said Hopkins (speaking in top photo). "Obviously, it is subject to market demand."

Later he added, "But we do want to have a shovel-ready site. That's our goal, and we think we can accomplish it."

He expressed confidence in Geis Companies. He said the company has a lot of experience with this type of project in Ohio and they have "an excellent track record."

"I think it's really a welcome opportunity to bring them to Western New York, to bring their expertise," Hopkins said. "We think this project is a win-win for all parties involved."

When discussing the renderings of the potential design of the buildings, he said he anticipated the construction of quality, attractive buildings on the site.

"They're gonna have to obviously serve the function that they'll be designed for, but we also want them to look attractive from the outside," Hopkins said.

The site uses 100 acres of a 200-acre parcel, with the remaining space reserved for federally protected wetlands.

"We're not proposing any impact whatsoever to DEC wetlands, and I believe our impact on to federal wetlands is approximately .2 acres, so it's a very small impact," Hopkins said. "We readily expect that we will get that permit from the Army Corps of Engineers."

The wetlands-related documents, prepared as required by the application process and provided to the board, run to dozens of pages.

Horizon Acres Associates has requested from the Genesee Center for Economic Development a sales tax exemption of about $6.2 million, a property tax abatement estimated of approximately $11.9 million, and a mortgage tax exemption estimated at $1.1 million.

The project is projected to generate $7.9 million in PILOT revenues for municipalities during the 10-year PILOT agreement. According to the GCEDC, those payments total about  39.5 times more than anticipated municipal revenue from the property's undeveloped state.

Top photo by Howard Owens. Illustrations below, submitted.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center will consider a project with the fifth largest proposed capital investment in Genesee County history at its Jan. 12, 2023, meeting. 

Horizon Acres Associates, LLC., based in Rockland County, partnering with Geis Companies, based in Streetsboro, Ohio, is proposing to invest $142 million to build six flex commercial/industrial facilities totaling 1.5 million square feet in the Town of Pembroke. The project would be located on 115 acres immediately off the 48-A interchange on the New York State Thruway and is positioned to support project companies located at the Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) as well as other nearby locations.

“This historic economic development investment in Genesee County, similar to the major investments made by Edwards Vacuum and Plug Power in just the last couple of years, demonstrates our community’s high capacity for private sector growth,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde.  “It’s no coincidence that this type of investment is being considered here as a result of continuing growth at STAMP and our central location between Buffalo and Rochester.”

The company plans to start construction in the 4th quarter of 2023 with the goal of having one to two buildings totaling 560,000 square feet operational in late 2024. The facilities will be suitable for a large single tenant, multiple smaller tenants, or suppliers for advanced manufacturing projects. The development is estimated to create up to 400 new jobs at full build-out.

Horizon Acres Associates, LLC is requesting a sales tax exemption estimated at $6.2 million, a property tax abatement estimated at $11.9 million and a mortgage tax exemption estimated at $1.1 million. The project is projected to generate $7.9 million in PILOT revenues to municipalities during the proposed 10-year project agreement, which is estimated at 39.5 times the municipal revenue that would be generated under the property’s current use.

The GCEDC’s economic analysis of the project estimates a $227 million impact, including $218 million in payroll and $9.1 million in revenues to the Town of Pembroke, the Pembroke Central School District and Genesee County.  For every $1 of public benefit, the project is projected to generate $16 in the local economy.

The project ranks only behind Plug Power (2021), Edwards Vacuum (2023), HP Hood (2017), and Project Dairy (2012) for the largest capital investments by commercial/industrial projects in Genesee County history.

If the project application is accepted, a public hearing will be scheduled on the proposed project agreements in the town of Pembroke.

Press release:

Tompkins Insurance Agencies has again been named among the Top 50 Personal Insurance Agencies in the nation by Insurance Journal. This is Tompkins Insurance Agencies’ third consecutive appearance on Insurance Journal’s top 50 list, with a 2022 ranking of 45. 

Agencies included on the 2022 Personal Lines Leaders list are taken from Insurance Journal’s Top 100 Property/Casualty Independent Agencies as reported in August. Agencies are ranked by total 2021 personal lines property/casualty insurance revenue.  

Tompkins Insurance Agencies operates 16 offices in western New York, six offices in central New York and six offices in southeast Pennsylvania. It is an independent insurance agency offering personal and business insurance and employee benefits services through more than 50 different companies. A part of Tompkins Financial Corporation, (trading as TMP on the NYSE - MKT), the agency is affiliated with Tompkins Community Bank and Tompkins Financial Advisors, both operating in western New York, central New York, southeast Pennsylvania and New York’s Hudson Valley. For more information, head to www.tompkinsins.com or follow Tompkins Insurance Agencies on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

The national chain JOANN Fabrics and Crafts is closing its Batavia store next month, according to a company representative.

It's part of a strategic move, said Shauntina Lilly, JOANN Manager of Public Relations.

"In alignment with standard brick and mortar business processes, JOANN closes stores occasionally while simultaneously investing in, and opening brand new stores to best meet the needs of our customers," she said.

The store is located in Valu Plaza, which lost its anchor tenant, Valu Home Store, in a similar cost-cutting move earlier this year.

The final day of business for JOANN is scheduled Jan. 15.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Tops Friendly Markets, a leading full-service grocery retailer in New York, northern Pennsylvania, and Vermont, is pleased to announce the promotion of Laura Gould to promotions manager.

Laura began her career at Tops in 2001 as a scan associate at store 245 in Batavia. She eventually worked her way up to assistant scan coordinator. In 2008 Laura joined the Corporate Office as a data integrity coordinator, and in 2015 was promoted to the promotions coordinator. Later in 2015, Laura was promoted to the position of promotions analyst. She holds a BS in Mathematics, as well as a BS in Computational Science from SUNY Brockport.

Laura lives in Batavia, NY, with her husband, Charlie and their children, Adam and Olivia. She is an avid baker and enjoys spending time with family and friends. 

Taylor McCabe, of McCabe Enterprises, an electrical contractor, was one of four contractors on a job site at Brickhouse Corners in Pembroke to introduce students to the building trades.

Owner and developer Randy Fancher said he and his brother thought their mixed-use development -- retail and apartments -- was a good job site to show young people what a construction site is like and hear about the kind of work available in different facets of construction.

Besides electrical, students -- and their parents and grandparents -- learned about drywall, HVAC, and plumbing.

"We're letting kids know there are opportunities in the building trades," Fancher said.

For more on the development, click here.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Brian Stevens of DWC Mechanical talks about pipes with a group of students.

Cindy Merritt tries her hand at putting a screw into drywall.

Press release:

This week, the Cannabis Association of New York (CANY) attended a special, behind-the-scenes tour of Empire Hemp Co.’s manufacturing facility with Chris Vandusen, CEO, and Shelly Wolanske, COO. 

CANY is the largest cannabis association in NY – with hundreds of members stretched across the supply chain from seed-to-sale and in every region of the state. They work to engage with the various communities of interest within the NY cannabis economy. Since their founding in 2019, they’ve helped draft multiple laws and countless regulations to build a cannabis industry that benefits small and midscale NYS businesses first.

As one of the first licensed cultivators and processors in the state, the team at Empire was thrilled to showcase their Adult-use THC line and all that goes into manufacturing and packaging these products with a strong focus on safety, compliance, and sustainability. One member noted, “The facility held much-advanced equipment, and we were very impressed with the cleanliness and documentation taken.”

Empire Hemp Co., located in Batavia been the go-to source for hemp-derived products for several years. With a strong devotion to all New York State-grown, pesticide-free hemp, their retail location on Main Street in Batavia quickly became the trusted source for Cannabidiol (CBD) tinctures, gummies, and their best-seller, “The Balm.” Luxury lotions and bath products - all infused with the therapeutic plant - line the walls of the boutique shop. 

Branching out into the THC world was a natural move for the company. Countless hours of research, paperwork, and manpower have gone into ensuring the entire process is handled in a legal and ethical manner. Flowers, pre-rolls, vape carts, and edibles will all be available to customers through legal, licensed dispensaries as they begin to open throughout the state. 

To learn more about Empire Hemp Co., visit EmpireHempCo.com or stop into their retail location at 204 East Main St. in Batavia.

The big advantage of the new location of Licata Chiropractic at 542 East Main St. in Batavia, said owner Sandra Licata, is that she owns the real estate.

After years of renting, Licata was able to purchase the property in early 2020, just before the pandemic started. She was able to do business but held off on a grand opening until this week when she hosted the Chamber of Commerce for a Business After Hours and a ribbon-cutting.

With ownership comes her own parking lot.

"Where I was renting (off Court Street), we had the city parking lot," Licata said. "You didn't always know what space you're gonna get and here we have15 parking spaces. There's enough for staff, for clients, for Mike Grasso, and for my patients."

Mike Grasso is the massage therapist Licata has been working with for 21 years, a unique partnership in the chiropractic practice.

"Usually, I hear from colleagues that those relationships don't last that long," Licata said. "Usually, there's kind of a rotating door."

Licata said she's excited to have her own place where she has more control over the building and the grounds.

"We've updated the landscaping this year," Licata said. "We've updated the parking lot to add more lighting. It's nice to have my own place to do those things."

Photo by Howard Owens

Press release:

GLOW Works Inc. is building on the momentum of its annual GLOW With Your Hands manufacturing event with an expansion to serve the healthcare sector with GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare on Friday, March 24, 2023, at Genesee Community College.

“A critical component of the success of that event is the support of sponsorships by companies across the GLOW region to bring hundreds of students to one location for an immersive career exploration experience,” said Karyn Winters, GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare Co-Chair.

“Sponsors are one of the main reasons we have seen so much success with the GLOW With Your Hands manufacturing event, and we are hopeful that healthcare entities will experience similar success by supporting this event,” said Chris Suozzi, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair.  “Similar to the manufacturing sector, there is strong demand from healthcare employers to identify the next generation of workers for great careers in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.”

GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare will provide the healthcare sector with the opportunity to meet and recruit their future workforce. Students will have the opportunity to learn and interact with companies from various sectors of the healthcare industry, including hospitals and health systems and jobs in nursing, mental health, social services and first aid.   They will also engage with local colleges, universities, and secondary and post-secondary training programs to learn about career pathways that will provide a sound return on their investment.

“This is another incredible opportunity for students to learn about good-paying careers in the healthcare sector with companies right here in the GLOW region,” said Angela Grouse, GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare Co-Chair. “Healthcare is a dynamic field and an essential component of the regional economy as evidenced by various expansions and developments across the GLOW area, and the robust training programs for students ready to explore careers in healthcare.”

There are sponsorship opportunities for the March 24 event at the Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,500), Silver ($1,000) and Bronze ($500) levels.

For more information about GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare, visit www.GLOWWithYourHands.com/healthcare or contact Chris Suozzi atcsuozzi@gcedc.com.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) board of directors will consider final resolutions for solar projects that would generate $576.5 million of capital investment at its board meeting on Thursday, December 1, 2022.

Projects to be considered at the meeting include Hecate Energy Cider Solar LLC’s proposed $550 million utility-scale solar project and community solar projects estimated at $26.5 million.

Hecate Energy Cider Solar LLC’s 500-megawatt utility-scale solar is proposing to create approximately 500 full-time construction jobs and will have the capacity to supply 920,000 hours of renewable electricity annually and provide power to up to 120,000 homes.

Agreements negotiated for Hecate Energy Cider Solar LLC project also would generate approximately $73.5 million through PILOTs and host community agreements with the Town of Elba, the Town of Oakfield, the Elba Central School District, and the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District, including:

• $13.18 million to Genesee County
• $19.38 million to the Town of Elba
• $12.92 million to the Town of Oakfield
• $16.85 million to the Elba Central School District
• $11.24 million to the Oakfield-Alabama School District

“This project will generate significant financial benefits to the host communities and I want to acknowledge the leadership of the various taxing jurisdictions in working collaboratively and successfully to reach agreements matching the scale of this historic renewable energy project for our region,” GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde said.

The GCEDC Board also will consider final resolutions for three community solar projects totaling 10.5-megwatts of energy generation that would result in up to $2 million in payments for the various host communities.

• AES Rt 5 Storage LLC is proposing to construct a 5-megawatt community solar project on West Main Road in Le Roy. The $11.01 million project would generate $597,180 in payments to Genesee County, the town of Le Roy, and the Le Roy Central Schools.
• RPNY Solar 6 LLC is proposing to construct a 3-megawatt community solar project on Alexander Road in Batavia. The $5.97 million project would generate $447,748 in payments to Genesee County, the town of Batavia, and the Alexander Central Schools.
• RPNY Solar 7 LLC is proposing to construct a 2.5-megawatt community solar project on Alexander Road in Batavia. The $3.55 million project would generate $373,124 in payments to Genesee County, the town of Batavia, and the Batavia City Schools.

Finally, the board will consider an initial resolution from NY CDG Genesee 4 LLC for a 4.275 MW community solar farm in the town of Pavilion on Shepard Road.  The $6.5 million project would generate approximately $500,000 in PILOT, host community, and real property tax payments to Genesee County, the town of Pavilion and the Pavilion Central Schools. If the resolution is accepted, a public hearing on the project agreement would be scheduled in the town of Pavilion.

The Dec. 1 GCEDC board meeting will be held at 4 p.m. at the MedTech Center’s Innovation Zone, 99 MedTech Drive, Batavia. Meeting materials and links to a live stream/on-demand recording of the meeting is available at www.gcedc.com.

Tom Turnbull had déjà vu Thursday at Terry Hills in Batavia.

The formerly retired president and current interim president of Genesee County Chamber of Commerce didn’t think he would again be front and center at the agency’s annual meeting. Turnbull stepped in earlier this year for Erik Fix when he left the position to become assistant manager for the city of Batavia.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Turnbull said Thursday to the room of attendees. “Now first thing that comes to mind from this year was the Chamber's 50th year anniversary … those of you that don't know the story, the Batavia Chamber of Commerce and the Leroy Chamber of Commerce merged in 1972, and they were smart enough to merge two chambers to make it not just the Batavia-LeRoy Chamber of Commerce, but a county wide Chamber of Commerce, and it was a great move, and that happened 50 years ago this year.”

He reminisced about the three celebration events the Chamber hosted, including an open house at the Chamber office on Park Road; a founding fathers reception with John Dwyer and Jim Benson representing the Batavia and Le Roy chambers, respectively; and the annual chamber awards dinner.

Other events have been an agricultural dinner; a popular Batavia-based Home Show; a golf tournament; ribbon-cuttings and welcomes to new businesses; and a monthly podcast.

“Obviously, these last two years have been a challenge for tourism, with the pandemic. But our staff has been very creative. And they’ve done a very good job and had to change their strategy a little bit for the past couple of years,” he said. “And this year, this is just an example of one of the things they did, we can't focus on international, or even our Canadian travelers, for the last couple of years, so we had to focus on more local, more day trip type of people that were coming into the county. And the dining guide was part of that. So we did a giant dining guide promotion and a lot of different portions of what's going on in the county.”

Those efforts seemed to pay off. Each household in the county would need to be taxed an extra $600 to replace the visitor-generated taxes received by New York State and local governments in 2021, he said. From lodging — at $17 million— to food/dining, retail and tourism payroll at $48 million, $16 million and $62 million, respectively — visitors will have brought an estimated $184 million to the county this year, he said.

As for business news, Quality Inn has been purchased and will be replaced by Holiday Inn and Candlewood Suites, he said. A $12 million renovation will re-open the site with a revamped hotel and Palm Island waterpark, he said.

“We have a lot of great hotels in this area. But that's really been the flagship hotel, and I think with the Palm Island, it's really important that that busy building doesn't stay there empty,” he said. “I think it's going to be really good for the community when they get better.”

He switched gears a bit from the work of the Chamber to the people of the Chamber, including veteran staff members Kelly Bermingham, and Kelly Rapone. He also introduced newly hired president Brian Cousins, who lives with his wife Cherie in Corfu.

“I think one of the things that we're really looking forward to next year is new leadership,” Turnbull said. “Brian Cousins is currently the director of accommodations at Six Flags, with over 25 years of dedication to helping families have fun and create lifelong memories. Holding various roles in marketing operations, entertainment and accommodations has provided him with a wide variety of skill sets throughout the hospitality, tourism and theme park industry.”

A humble Cousins admitted that Turnbull was a hard act to follow. The incoming president is looking forward to this opportunity with the chamber and Genesee County, he said.

“I’ve lived here for a very long time with my wife, over 25 years, we've lived in the county and it's been great. I look forward to meeting everyone as much as I possibly can,” Cousins said “I’m very humbled and very honored to be able to follow Tom's footsteps.”

Top Photo: Interim Chamber of Commerce President Tom Turnbull looks back over the past year during the agency's annual meeting Thursday at Terry Hills in Batavia; newly hired President Brian Cousins says a few words about his new role and the future; and Turnbull shows several photos of past community events. Photos by Howard Owens.

After two days of enjoying himself at a Grow-NY convention, Paul Guglielmo knew it was time to get serious. He was approaching his time to be on stage pitching for up to a million bucks to expand his Craft Cannery business.

Enter Alexander Hamilton. Or at least the soundtrack of the famed Broadway musical about America’s founding father. No wonder Guglielmo chose this piece of music to pump him up before his turn came: “I’m not throwing away my shot,” begins one of the tunes in a spunky rap-sung style.

And he certainly didn't. He just learned Wednesday that his pitch won a $500,000 prize. 

“It really worked. By the time I stepped on stage I was really psyched,” Guglielmo said Thursday about giving his pitch during the Grow-NY competition in Syracuse. “There was so much energy.”

The news was embargoed until Thursday, but Guglielmo figured there’s always the “mom rule,” so he confided in her before the news became public.

“She screamed at the top of her lungs,” he said. “We did a lot of practice, I’d say at least 50 times; it was well-rehearsed, but not memorized. There were six judges, sort of six disciplines all related to the food and agriculture business. The $500,000 is a really, really big deal, of course, but also having six people at the absolute tops of their field in food and agriculture give you that kind of validation, hearing your plan and say ‘we believe in that plan,’ that’s a big deal too. It really is a big deal.”

He received the award Wednesday night on behalf of the Bergen-based company. The top three priorities he pitched involved job creation, expansion of the building on Appletree Avenue, and the purchase of needed equipment. Most likely, it won’t happen in that order, though, as a building expansion needs to be done first in order to fit more equipment and then hire additional people to help operate everything.

Guglielmo (inset photo left), has been supported throughout his entrepreneurial journey by his wife Ryann, who assists with the company’s marketing, and partner Tom Riggio (inset photo, right). For more, go to the company website.

First up on the task list is to hire an architect and move forward with an expansion, Guglielmo said. That should be happening during the next several months, he said.

“Monday, we’ll have our first set of meetings, and have a goal of that being done in a year,” he said. “We have the land to do 10,000 square feet."

With a personality that tends to be “all over the place,” one big lesson he has learned from this experience is to focus. The judges homed in on various elements of his pitch, and pointed out an area he hadn’t really thought about, he said: the diversity of his staff. While clients and the advisory board are diverse groups, his staff looks like Bergen, he said: nine white people. He has attempted to recruit temp workers from an Afghan-based employee pool, but workers didn’t have transportation. He appreciated the panel’s point.

Once expansion and new equipment purchases happen, then Craft Cannery will be looking to hire “realistically between two and five people,” the Brighton resident said. Although the “B2B” company produces well-known products, it sells to businesses versus directly to the public. As a result, it hasn’t garnered a whole lot of attention — until now. Guglielmo knows how challenging it can be to pursue a business dream, and he wants entrepreneurs to know that Craft Cannery is there to help.

“The first thing I ever thought when I wanted to start my pasta sauce business was that it was almost for sure that the answer I would get would be that it was impossible. And I couldn't believe it when I finally started to have some people take me seriously, like the people at Cornell University and their food venture center,” he said. “When they took me seriously, I was like, ‘Oh my God, somebody's actually taking me seriously that I want to bottle this sauce. This is so cool.’”

State recognition
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the winners of the Grow-NY business competition Thursday, including the top prize recipient ProAgni of Lavington, Australia, for the $1 million grand prize.

Now in its fourth year, the program once again attracted exceptional startups and entrepreneurial talent from around the globe to compete in its business development accelerator and two-day pitch competition at the Grow-NY Summit, Hochul’s press release stated.

ProAgni and Craft Cannery were two of eight finalists to take home prize money. The winning teams must commit to operating in the Central New York, Finger Lakes, or Southern Tier regions for at least one year while providing Grow-NY with a small equity investment stake in their entity. Funding for the competition, which is administered by Cornell University's Center for Regional Economic Advancement, is provided through the state's Upstate Revitalization Initiative. 

"Congratulations to all of the forward-thinking entrepreneurs that took part in the fourth round of the Grow-NY competition," Hochul said. "This competition not only helps these companies continue to innovate, but it further supports New York State's regional economies by drawing even more worldwide attention to our globally renowned food and agriculture industry.”

In all, 390 startups applied from 52 countries, including Singapore, Australia, and Sri Lanka. In the U.S., 25 states were represented, including 92 entries from New York. The 20 finalists, including Craft Cannery, received dedicated mentorship from hand-selected regional business advisors leading up to the competition.

Those selected as winners will now immediately get to work executing their business plans in New York state, leveraging the connections made and regional knowledge gained from the competition, the release stated. 

More than 1,200 people registered for the fourth annual Grow-NY Summit. The 20 finalists gave highly-anticipated business pitches to a panel of six judges reflecting a depth and breadth of agriculture, food production, and venture development expertise, who listened to each pitch and asked probing questions, before deliberating to determine the top winners, it stated.

"Grow-NY has become one of New York's finest annual traditions, shining a spotlight on the many diverse, innovative, exciting agricultural and food businesses across the State,” Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball said. “I thank Governor Hochul for her continued support of the Grow-NY competition and send my congratulations to all of the winners and participants this year. I look forward to seeing you create the technologies and jobs of the future while continuing to provide a boost to our local farmers." 

Craft Cannery promotes itself as taking cherished recipes from your kitchen to the shelves of grocery stores, restaurants, farmers markets and beyond, specializing in the contract manufacturing of sauces, dressings, marinades, and more. 

Grow-NY judges based award decisions on the following criteria: 

• The viability of the startup's business model 
• The diversity, quality, readiness, and completeness of the startup team  
• The value that the startup offers customers 
• The agrifood innovation that that the startup has invented

Prior coverage includes:

• Sauce boss buys Bergen food manufacturing plant
• Bergen business owner takes food prep to a whole other level
• Bergen entrepreneur a top 20 for Grow-NY competition

Top photo submitted of Paul Guglielmo, center, celebrating his win Wednesday in Syracuse. 

The Town of Batavia Planning Board voted unanimously on Tuesday night to appoint itself the lead agency in the environmental review process for a new Tractor Supply location at 8727 Lewiston Road.

Tractor Supply is planning a 24,000-square-foot building to replace its current store at 4974 East Main Street Road.

Not only will the new location be larger, but Tractor Supply will also own the land and building.  The company leases the current location.

"The main effort is to expand into a larger space and be an all-inclusive store that competes more with The Home Depot, Lowes, and those types of stores," said attorney Ryan McCarthy.

Real Estate broker Tony Mancuso said previously that he has potential tenants already considering the former Tractor Supply location, so it may not go vacant long.

The current location is owned by 1515 Management Company Inc., which appears to be a company based in Iowa with principles living in Boca Raton, Fla.

Tractor Supply is acquiring 5.08 acres, a portion of a 50-acre farm field owned by the Call family and actively farmed by MY-T Acres.  The five acres will be divided into four parcels.

Tractor Supply will occupy a parcel 340 feet from Lewiston Road.  There will be another parcel between that parcel and Lewiston Road.  It's expected that the parcel, zoned commercial, will be developed at some point, as well as the other two parcels being acquired by Tractor Supply, but there are no firm plans for development at this point.

The new location will have 110 parking spaces, which is 10 fewer than required by ordinance, which means Tractor Supply will need to apply for and receive a zoning variance.

McCarthy said Tractor Supply, which operates nationwide, knows the flow of its business well, and the store will not need 110 spaces, which means less land to cover with asphalt.

Plans to convert the farm field into commercial development have been on the books for more than 20 years. As part of the project, Tractor Supply will start construction of a road -- initially a driveway into the new store -- that will eventually connect Lewiston Road to Veterans Memorial Drive on the north side of The Home Depot.

A planning board member asked if it will be necessary to install a traffic light at the new road and Lewiston Road, and Mancuso said, "not yet."  Not until a planned roadway is installed directly opposite the location that will connect Lewiston Road with West Main Street Road.  That vacant land, in the town's Comprehensive Master Plan, is designated for commercial development.

The proposed project will be back before the board in a month when the board will review the environmental impact report.

Tompkins Financial Advisors in Western New York, based in Rochester, has added Batavia native Margaret Brown as a wealth advisor. In this post, Brown is responsible for building and maintaining client relationships, as well as lending expertise through executive financial planning, wealth management and estate planning.  

“Over the last 20-plus years, Margaret’s experience in wealth management, along with consulting and educating professionals and leaders, makes her a superb asset to the company and its team-based approach to client service,” said James Sperry, Tompkins Financial Advisors senior vice president and managing director for the region. “We know she’ll continue to grow in this role.” 

Prior to joining Tompkins Financial Advisors, Brown served as a vice president and financial advisor at Citizens Securities. She has her Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) series 6, 7, 63 and 66, along with Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) and Life & Health licenses in various states and is currently completing her Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification.   

Brown is actively involved in her community and volunteers alongside her family at Bethel Express, a Rochester-based youth ministry.