Archive: Business & Technology

Kevin Morrin has joined the staff of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce as Director of Membership Services and Public Relations.  Morrin, who moved back to Ithaca in 2001, is a graduate of Ithaca College with a bachelor's degree in International Business and German.

He most recently served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Greek Peak Mountain Resort for the past eight years and as Marketing Director for Axiohm/TPG for three years.  These positions required that he seek out prospective sponsor donors, develop mutually successful business partnerships, produce small to large events, and develop meaningful relationships between businesses across New York State and beyond, and network with many people in the Central New York community.

New York State continues to be a leading agricultural state with 36,300 farms producing $4.7 billion in products annually, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. New York ranks among the largest producers in the nation for some goods, including ranking second in wine production.

“While farming in New York is mainly a small, family business, its economic impact is widespread,” DiNapoli said. “Farming supports thousands of New Yorkers in a variety of industries and services, such as food processing, trucking and tourism. Farms also protect open space and improve public health by meeting the rising demand for nutritious, locally grown food. We need to do all we can to make sure New York farmers can successfully continue their way of life.”

Williamsville, NY –Tops Friendly Markets announced that the company has launched TOPS in Education, a new program aimed at helping schools (k-12) raise funds for improvements and programming.

With a focus on elementary, middle and high schools in Tops operating areas, “TOPS in Education” offers public and private schools, grades k-12 located in NY and PA the opportunity to gain funding for school improvements and programs. The TOPS in Education program allows customers, through their regular shopping trips at Tops, to help raise money for their schools through Tops’ donation of a percentage of their expenditures on TOPS, Full Circle or TopCare branded items.

The Hangar Theatre Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Joshua Friedman as the new managing director of the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, New York. Friedman has managed the production department for the Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas, for the past six years and replaces outgoing executive director Lisa Bushlow in early November.

"Josh was the unanimous choice of the search committee and we are thrilled that he's coming to Ithaca," says Ann Costello, president of the Hangar Theatre Board of Directors. "He has impressive theatre management experience and we believe he will be a good fit for the Hangar Theatre and for this community."

“My business partner and I own a jewelry and American crafts store in Ithaca and were looking for a way to offer health insurance to our staff at a cost we could afford. I attended one of the presentations at the Tompkins Chamber and learned that we could offer our staff a high deductible health plan with a health savings account. The Chamber put us in touch with staff at Community Health Advocates, who helped guide us through the maze.”  --Ken Jupiter

“Ken Jupiter, one of the owners of 15 Steps, a store on the Commons in Ithaca, sent this testimonial to us at the Chamber after attending one of the presentations we’ve been offering on the Affordable Care Act and access to health insurance,” said Jean McPheeters, president of the Tompkins Chamber.  “It’s exciting to be able to offer valuable information to our members and to small businesses across Tompkins County.  We’ve had more than 20 presentations since April and have answered questions from more than 100 businesses and not-for-profit organizations."

Fred Bonn, director of the Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention & Visitors Bureau, announced Monday the hiring of Kristy Mitchell as Integrated Marketing Manager.

In the newly created position, Mitchell will coordinate the CVB’s marketing efforts in the rapidly evolving world of digital, social and traditional media. She will manage the organization’s websites, print publications, advertising and promotions to maximize the benefits of emerging and converging technology.

News / Talk 870 AM, 95.9FM WHCU radio completed a milestone broadcast with the 200th airing of 'All Things Equal'.

All Things Equal is a weekly program on 870 AM & 95.9 FM News/Talk WHCU Tuesday mornings at 8:35. The show features in-depth conversations on diversity, equity, and-or sustainability, with a focus on solutions and common ground.

“All Things Equal” wraps up its fourth season this month and its 200th on air segment.  The show emerged from a series of community conversations that pointed to the need for steady and productive dialogues on a year-round basis, not just in the aftermath of a crisis. This popular show has touched on everything from new equity strategies, local affordable housing, employment challenges and sustainability.

The Jeff Furman Award for Social Responsibility in Business is presented annually to an Alternatives Federal Credit Union member business that has distinguished itself through business practices that demonstrate the owner's commitment to social responsibility. Past award winners and nominees have included member businesses dedicated to paying their employees a living wage, trading in responsibly produced goods, being good stewards of the environment, fighting for social justice, or otherwise using their enterprises as both an example of and a platform for promoting social responsibility in business.

The Finger Lakes ReUse Center was awarded this year at Alternatives' annual meeting, with Executive Director Diane Cohen accepting the award. Cohen expressed her thanks: "We will hang the award prominently and proudly in our Reuse Center, and as we grow, we will continue to use this as a beacon, to continue our efforts to maximize our capacity to provide opportunities and relieve hardship. We know we are in solidarity with Alternatives on these issues. We're a young organization with a mission to enhance community, economy, and environment through reuse, and a priority to serve our community well. Receiving this award has been an honor and an affirmation.”

Autumn Leaves Used Books is giving its customers a new option of payment when they trade-in their used books: Autumn Leaves Used Books currency. The currency comes in bills that are transferable and redeemable for used book purchases in the store. It functions like credit but can be passed on to anyone else easily and, like store credit, has no expiration date.

The Autumn Leaves Used Books currency is being issued in denominations of fifty cents, $1, $5, $10 and $20. Each bill has the portrait of an author who is popular in Ithaca; Rachel Carson, Emma Goldman, Mark Twain, W.E.B Du Bois and George Orwell, with quotations from those authors on the back of each bill.

Upgrading your operating system when you are in a hurry is a bad idea.  But some geeks just can't wait for the latest greatest.  I'm not pointing any fingers, but when the newest version of OS X showed up in the Mac App Store Wednesday morning I paid the 19.99 and the fun began.  The last several versions of OS X have been named after cats, which I am all about since I am a cat lover.  This latest greatest is called Mountain Lion, OS X Version 10.8.

Since me and who knows how many others tried downloading the new operating sytem at the same time (and because it is a big honking download) on its first morning it took nearly an hour before a message appeared asking whether I wanted to begin the installation.  I could continue to work on my computer while this was happening.  From there the installer estimated it would take another 35 minutes to complete the installation.  I couldn't use the computer during that phase, which is one reason not to do this when you're in a hurry.

Ithaca, NY and Wyomissing, PA: Tompkins Financial Corporation (“Tompkins”) (NYSE MKT: TMP) and VIST Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: VIST) announced the receipt of shareholder approvals in connection with the merger in which Tompkins will acquire VIST Financial Corp. The shareholders of VIST Financial Corp. approved the merger at a special meeting of shareholders held on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, and Tompkins shareholders approved the issuance of shares of Tompkins common stock in the merger at its Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on July 18, 2012.  The merger has been approved by all of the appropriate regulatory authorities and agencies and is expected to close on Wednesday, August 1, 2012. Under the terms of the merger agreement, shareholders of VIST Financial Corp. will receive 0.3127 shares of Tompkins common stock for each share of VIST common stock.

The combined companies will have assets of approximately $5 billion, deposits of $3.8 billion, and loans of $2.9 billion, with 67 banking offices.  Excluding one-time merger expenses, Tompkins Financial expects the transaction to be accretive to earnings per share in the first year and into the future.

Shaun Whistler is all about precision.  Whistler specializes in custom woodworking including furniture, cabinets, built-ins, timber framing, and mill work.  He even crafts the knives for the mill work in his shop.

"Anything precise, anything custom.  I'm trying to be an all-around wood shop."

Whistler works with individuals, contractors and architects.  Some of the architects are based in New York City, where they service high-end clients who want high quality hand made furniture and built-in bookshelves.  Locally he works with builders who want bathroom vanities and kitchen cabinets.  And with individuals who want a special piece of furniture.