Archive: Business & Technology

Last week the Sustainable Enterprise and Entrepreneur Network (the SEEN) formally launched with a charter membership of ninety-five local businesses, organizations, and individuals. Members celebrated the momentous occasion on Monday, September 13th with a reception hosted by La Tourelle Resort & Spa.

At the event, members enjoyed appetizers, drinks, and good company, and began to look ahead. The group has committed to pursue balanced ecological, social, and financial success, through an approach known as the “triple bottom line.” The SEEN will provide a platform for members to explore these principles and learn how to put them into practice within their own business or organization.

Alternatives Federal Credit Union, The Plantsmen Nursery, Ithaca College, and Finger Lakes ReUse have been named the recipients of the 2010 Business of the Year Awards given by the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce.

Alternatives Federal Credit Union was named as the winner of the David R. Strong Small Business of the Year and The Plantsmen Nursery was named the New Business of the Year.

Rochester, NY – NYSEG and RG&E will reopen the companies’ residential natural gas rebate programs on October 1 following New York State Public Service Commission approval of a request for additional funding for the programs.

"We are pleased the PSC approved additional funding for rebates to encourage our residential customers to replace existing natural gas equipment with energy efficient equipment," said Mark S. Lynch, president of NYSEG and RG&E. "Energy efficient equipment has many benefits: lower energy bills for customers, increased business for qualified installers and the environmental benefits of lower energy consumption."

The  local  sustainability  movement  just  got  more  sustainable.  After six years  of  innovative programming,  community  leadership,  and  many hours of  volunteering,  local  nonprofit  Sustainable Tompkins  has  hired Nicole Pion  to  serve  as  their  first  Director  of  Operations.

"We  are  so  grateful  to  be  able  to  take  this  critical  step  in  our development  thanks  to  the  support  of the Park Foundation’s Sustainable Ithaca  fund,"  said  Board  Chairperson  Miranda  Phillips.  "With Nicole’s  help,  we’ll  be  able  to  expand  our  services  and  build  more  partnerships  aimed  at  more sustainable  lifestyles  and  business  practices."

Better Housing For Tompkins County, Inc. (BHTC) was one of 55 agencies across the state to receive a portion of the $22 million in grant funding awarded last week by the Housing Trust Fund Corporation’s  Home Program. 

BHTC applied for, and received, $360,000 as a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) to buy single family residences in need of significant repairs, make those repairs and then sell the homes to eligible low-to-moderate income individuals or families living in Tompkins County.

Williamsville, N.Y. - Tops Friendly Markets, a leading full-service grocery retailer in upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania, announced Thursday that Abbott Nutrition, manufacturer of Similac brand infant formulas has issued a voluntary recall of certain varieties of Similac brand powder infant formula due to the possibility of product not meeting quality standards. The products were recalled after an internal quality review which detected the remote possibility of the presence of a small common beetle in the product produced in one production area in a single manufacturing facility in Sturgis, Michigan.

Tops also announced that that General Mills is voluntarily recalling a single day's production of Nature Valley Dark Chocolate Flavor Granola Thins. Products produced may have been packaged incorrectly, and may contain allergens not listed on the box's ingredient label, specifically peanut butter.

U.S. Rep. Michael ArcuriWashington, DC – U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri (NY-24) announced $225,000 in funding through the U.S. Department of Justice for Architecture Technology Corporation—New York (ATC-NY) located in Ithaca, NY to provide local law enforcement agencies with forensic science training.

“New technologies make it possible for law enforcement to solve more crimes more quickly, but without the proper training they can’t use it to their full advantage,” said Arcuri, who served as Oneida County District Attorney for 13 years. “This funding will allow ATC-NY to teach more than 300 officers, at no charge, computer skills that will save valuable investigative resources, particularly in time-sensitive cases.”

Tompkins County Area Development approved a $125,000 loan request from Primet Precision Materials to assist with the purchase of fixed assets to facilitate research and development efforts. This will lead to commercialization opportunities at its current location in Ithaca’s South Hill Business Campus.

This loan to Primet is one of several unique loans in which TCAD has responded to the needs of high tech start-up companies by creating a unique lending model. To compensate TCAD for the high risk nature of making loans to early stage start-up companies, TCAD takes warrants that allow TCAD to purchase stock in the company at a later date at a preferred price.

Senator Michael Nozzolio (left) and Mike ElmendorfIn recognition of his efforts to help New York’s small businesses grow and create new jobs, State Senator Mike Nozzolio has been honored by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) with its “Guardian of Small Business” award.  The “Guardian of Small Business” award acknowledges Nozzolio’s active support of New York’s independent business owners and job creators.

“Independent businesses are the engines for new job growth in our State. They are integral to rebuilding our economy and creating a better future for our State and Nation,” said Nozzolio.  “It is an honor to receive this award and I commend the NFIB and New York State Director of NFIB Mike Elmendorf for their unwavering commitment to the success and growth of our State’s job-producing businesses.”

Tompkins Community Action’s Energy Services has been awarded over $300,000 towards our Weatherization Assistance Program; this award is part of a nationwide effort to encourage the installation of renewable energy systems and cutting-edge energy efficiency technologies in homes, which will help families save even more on their energy bills. On Thursday, August 19th, 2010, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it is awarding nearly $120 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) dollars to 120 organizations nationwide.

TCAction is one of three organizations in New York State slated to receive a portion of these funds under the Sustainable Energy Resources for Consumers (SERC) grants. These grants are intended to drive innovation under the DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program by supporting new pilot projects and enabling successful weatherization agencies such as TCAction to expand their current programs.

Alternatives Federal Credit Union was awarded $750,000 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund.  Alternatives was one of 180 national financial institutions that serve struggling communities to receive a grant.  These grants represent the largest single round of awards in the CDFI Fund’s history, and will help Alternatives support local entrepreneurs and small businesses, and spur local economic growth and recovery by expanding access to capital and affordable financial services in underserved areas.

"With these funds, we expect to improve our operating systems to give our local members and staff a higher degree of efficiency and ease of use, while strengthening our commitment to help small businesses and our mission of serving the underserved," says Tristram Coffin, Alternatives CEO.

NYSEG’s Ithaca Transmission Project, which eliminates the reliance on local generation to ensure reliable service in the region, is now in service after approximately a year of site and construction work.

“Where the needs exist, it is absolutely essential that we invest in the transmission system that is the backbone of our electricity delivery system,” said Mark S. Lynch, president of NYSEG and RG&E. “The completion of this project is an important milestone in our ongoing effort to continue to provide reliable service, and the NYSEG people and contractors who made this happen deserve our congratulations. We also appreciate the cooperation and understanding of our customers and community leaders in the project area.”