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THE LIST: MOHAWK VALLEY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE / 11

Nonprofit Corner: The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter. Page 9.

Go Go Go!: Mohawk Valley Chamber ener-gized for growth. Page 3.

O’Brien & Gere opens new office in Utica BY ERIC REINHARDT

JOURNAL STAFF

UTICA — Syracuse–based engineer-ing firm O’Brien & Gere, Inc. has opened an office in Utica to serve its clients in the Mohawk Valley.

The Utica location, which is the firm’s eighth office in New York, is situated in a 2,000-square-foot space at 101 First St. in the Hurd building. It opened in a newly renovated space on May 20, says Terrance (Terry) Madden, senior vice president and

the firm’s division manager for the Northeast region.

O’Brien & Gere also has offices in Rochester, Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, and Hawthorne in Westchester County. In addition, the firm operates a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing and technology-development facility in the town of Clay.

Feedback from its clients in the region influenced the firm’s decision to open the new Utica office.

O’Brien & Gere conducts an annual client-satisfaction survey during the

second quarter to check the firm’s progress against its strategic objec-tives, says James Fox, the firm’s CEO.

As O’Brien & Gere reviews the sur-vey findings, it picks up on areas that it can consider for “purposeful changes to drive our client satisfaction to a higher level,” Fox says.

“That’s much the way that our deci-sion to open an office in Utica came about is through that checking [of] our progress and purposeful change

PHOTO COURTESY OF O’BRIEN & GERE

Syracuse–based engineering firm O’Brien & Gere, Inc. on June 24 announced the opening of an office inside the Hurd building at 101 First St. in Utica.See O’BRIEN & GERE, page 8

Indium thrives in a volatile economic climate

BY NORMAN POLTENSONJOURNAL STAFF

CLINTON — “We need to be physically close to our customers,” says Gregory Peter Evans, the president and CEO of the Indium Corporation, headquartered in Clinton. “Our business is highly competitive, and it’s critical that we have short lead times.”

Indium supplies materials to the global elec-tronics-assembly, semiconductor-fabrication and packaging, solar-photovoltaic, thin-film, and ther-mal-management industries. Its products include lead-free solders; fluxes; preforms; sputtering tar-gets (coat a solid surface with metal atoms); in-dium, gallium, and germanium compounds; and NanoFoil, a patented product that delivers heat energy for advanced-joining applications. To meet its customers’ demands, the company has 11 manu-

See INDIUM, page 6

Evans

Short

Adjusters International: a national powerhouse

BY NORMAN POLTENSONJOURNAL STAFF

UTICA — Hurricanes, floods, earth-quakes, tornados, fire — they are all classified as natural disasters. Add to this oil spills, terrorist attacks, and arson — they are examples of man-made disasters. To an organiza-tion or business that has sustained a disaster, who negotiates and expe-dites the claim and maximizes the

See ADJUSTERS, page 10

Ronald A. Cuccaro sits in a room spe-

cially designed for Adjusters

International to han-dle the response to a natural or man-made

disaster.

NORMAN POLTENSON/THE MOHAWK VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL

2 • The Mohawk Valley Business Journal July 5, 2013

by eric reinhardtJournal Staff

E dward (Ed) Levine, the president and CEO of Syracuse–based Galaxy Communications, LP, is planning

to become full owner of his company that operates several radio stations in both the Syracuse and Utica markets.

Levine has partnered with Alta Communications, a Waltham, Mass.–based private-equity firm that has served as Galaxy’s majority owner since 2000.

“They’ve been in the company for [over] 12 years, which, for private equity, is two-and-a-half lifetimes,” Levine says.

Levine currently owns a 20 percent stake in Galaxy Communications, while Alta owns an 80 percent stake ahead of the upcoming transaction, he says.

Levine approached Alta at the end of 2012, and indicated his interest in making an offer to buy Alta’s ownership stake in Galaxy for $13 million, he says. The firm accepted the offer.

“So my joke is … Galaxy is being sold to me,” says Levine.

New York City–based Atalaya Capital Management LP is providing the financing, according to Levine. Atalaya describes itself as an “alternative-investment firm primarily focused on investing in credit opportuni-ties,” according to its website.

Levine and Alta plan to file for a full transfer of control with the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC will then have to approve it.

“I would anticipate that by the early fall, I will be the sole, 100 percent equity owner of Galaxy,” Levine says.

The company name would then change

from Galaxy Communications, LP to Galaxy Communications, LLC, he adds.

The transaction will take a firm “that was a very good company with a challenged bal-ance sheet and makes it now a very good operational company with a very good bal-ance sheet,” Levine says.

“By removing a significant amount of debt from the company, it gives us tremen-dous flexibility to either … look at other acquisitions in the broadcast field, look at other acquisitions in the event field, and being able to continue to invest in the product without worrying about debt levels that might not have been market levels anymore,” Levine says.

When asked how the transaction re-moves debt from the company, Levine says, “We were able to buy out Alta at a number significantly less than what was owed as they are winding down their fund.”

The website for Alta Communications lists Galaxy Communications as a “middle-market radio broadcasting company formed to acquire radio stations in Syracuse, Albany, and Utica, N.Y.”

Alta Communications typically invests between $10 million and $30 million of equity in each of its portfolio companies, according to its website.

Galaxy acquired nine Clear Channel sta-tions in the Utica–Rome market in 2007, and then sold five of the stations to two other companies to comply with federal ownership restrictions, according to ar-ticles published in The Central New York Business Journal.

In Syracuse, Galaxy operates WTKW-FM (TK99/TK105), which serves as the flag-ship station for both Syracuse University football and men’s basketball broadcasts. Its sister-station, ESPN Radio 97.7 FM/100.1 FM (which also transmits at both 1200 AM and 1440 AM), broadcasts men’s lacrosse and women’s basketball games.

Galaxy also operates KROCK (WKRL 100.9 FM and 106.5 FM).

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News of note for and about Mohawk Valley businesses

Oneida Financial declares quarterly dividend of 12 cents a share

ONEIDA — Oneida Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ONFC) announced that it has de-clared a quarterly cash dividend of 12 cents a share on its common stock. The dividend is payable to stockholders of record as of July 9 and will be paid on July 23.

Oneida Financial reported total assets of $719.7 million at the end of March, and stockholders’ equity of $93.9 million.

The company’s subsidiaries include the Oneida Savings Bank; State Bank of Chittenango, a state chartered limited-purpose commercial bank; Bailey, Haskell & LaLonde Agency, an insurance and finan-cial services company; Benefit Consulting Group, an employee-benefits consulting and retirement-plan administration firm; and Workplace Health Solutions, a risk-man-agement firm specializing in workplace-injury claims management.

The Oneida Savings Bank, established in 1866, operates 11 full-service banking of-fices in Madison and Oneida counties.

Faxton St. Luke’s Foundation names new board officers

The Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare (FSLH) Foundation recently announced the 2013-2014 officers for its board of directors.

Robert Luke Lewis has been named pres-ident. Lewis is the owner of Lewis Custom Homes, Inc., in New Hartford. Lewis Custom Homes is a partner in the FSLH Foundation’s annual $100,000 Miracle Home Makeover that benefits the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital at FSLH. Lewis earned his bach-elor’s degree from SUNY Brockport.

Harrison Hummel, IV has been named vice president of the FSLH Foundation board. Hummel is the chief operating of-ficer for Hummel’s Office Plus located in Utica. He is an active board member in the Herkimer Area Resource Center and re-ceived his bachelor’s degree at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

Don Edmunds has been named sec-retary of the board. Edmunds is a funeral director for the Dimbley, Friedel, Williams & Edmunds Funeral Home located in New Hartford. He received his associate degree in mortuary science from Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.

Patrick Knapp, M.D. has been named treasurer of the FSLH Foundation board. Knapp is an anesthesiologist with Sunset Anesthesia Associates, LLP and practices at FSLH. Knapp earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Ithaca and his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. He trained for a year at Wilson Memorial Hospital in Norwich and completed his residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

email your company news to news@tmvbj.com

Levine to become sole owner of Galaxy Communications

edward (ed) Levine, presi-dent and ceO of Galaxy communications, LP, which owns stations in the Utica–rome market.

eric reinhardt/the mohawk valley Business Journal

See Levine, page 8

July 5, 2013 The Mohawk Valley Business Journal • 3

Kinetic energy: The energy possessed by a body because of its motion, equal to one-half the mass of the body times its speed — American Heritage Dictionary.

By NormaN PolteNsoNJournal Staff

UTICA — Pamela Germain Matt is the embodiment of kinetic energy. Matt, the executive director of the Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce, is a slight woman, thus requiring, according to the law of physics, high speed to achieve her dyna-mism. Because she also never slows down, one is reminded of the energizer bunny.

Matt, an attorney, brought her energy to the chamber position in March 2012, when she became the first woman in 115 years to head the nonprofit business group. “I’m passionate about ev-erything,” Matt de-clares … “I came to the

chamber to grow the membership and to make changes.” The chamber is comprised of business and business-oriented members dedicated to the development of a prosper-ous economic climate that enhances com-mercial growth and the quality of life in the Mohawk Valley, according to the chamber’s vision statement on its website.

In her short tenure, the Mohawk Valley Chamber has made a number of changes. “Last June, we joined with CenterState CEO in Syracuse to form an alliance, which in-cludes the Cayuga [County] Chamber [of Commerce]. Jane Amico, Andrew Fish, and I discuss [monthly] regional issues, work to-gether to recruit businesses to the area, and coordinate our legislative agenda to provide a unified voice for the region’s business com-munity … The Mohawk Valley Chamber partners with Benefit Specialists of New York, an arm of CenterState CEO, to offer our members health-care benefits under a marketing/referral agreement,” says Matt. Amico is vice president of chamber services at CenterState CEO while Fish is executive director of the Cayuga County Chamber.

Matt is also energized by recognition of her chamber at the national level. “Because of our accreditation last year by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, we have been cho-sen to sponsor the U.S. Chamber’s Center for Women in Business event on October 2 here in Utica. The program focuses on women in leadership roles. It’s a great honor both for the chamber and for the community,” says Matt.

Change is also apparent in the increased number of women members. “Women are playing a greater role in the [Mohawk Valley] Chamber,” continues the executive director. “We see more [females] at our Business After Hours events, which always draw more than 100 people. They partici-pate in our cash mobs, where our members show up at a local business with $20 to spend on a member-merchant.”

Change can be seen in the recent launch of “Catalyst, Watch US Grow.” The group is comprised of area young professionals who want to promote a positive image of the re-

gion, promote local pride, create events for their peers, and foster professional develop-ment. The new organization is headed by a 13-member steering committee.

“Helping business to prosper in a slug-gish economy and growing regulatory oversight is a challenge,” says Matt. “But we must be doing something right. Our membership is growing; it’s now at 700 members. [On average], we have 10 new members join the chamber every month … What’s really exciting is that the new mem-bers are coming on their own [volition], not

because we solicited their membership.John F. Kenealy, the chairman of the

Mohawk Valley Chamber board and a part-ner at the Utica law firm of Helmer Johnson Misiaszek & Kenealy, confirms Matt’s en-ergy level. “Pam is engaged everywhere in the community, giving a [high profile] to the chamber. Her actions give relevance to our members,” he says.

Matt was raised in Pittsburgh and gradu-ated from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. She earned a law degree from Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh and

began her career as an employment lawyer for Alcoa. Following her move to Utica, Matt held development positions with area colleges and was the human-resources di-rector at Mohawk, Ltd.

In 2012, the Mohawk Valley Chamber generated net revenues of $287,857 and ex-penses of $293,562. The staff includes five full-time employees. Its headquarters is lo-cated at 200 Genesee St. in downtown Utica.

Contact Poltenson at npoltenson@tmvbj.com

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4 • The Mohawk Valley Business Journal July 5, 2013

BY TRACI DELORECONTRIBUTING WRITER

UTICA — This fall, Utica College says it will launch a new MBA in professional ac-countancy program that will help prepare students for the rigorous certified public accountant (CPA) examination.

The program is designed for those who have earned a bachelor’s degree in account-ing or in business with a concentration in accounting and helps them meet the state’s 150-hour educational requirement for the CPA test, says Glen Hansen, associate pro-fessor of accounting at Utica College and co-author of the program.

In 2009, the state changed the educational requirements for the CPA exam, adding 30 additional hours of required education. Utica College originally responded to the change with an online program offering the additional hours. But over time, Hansen says, it became apparent that many students wanted the class-room experience where they could interact with faculty and easily ask questions.

Utica College developed the on-campus master’s program, which begins this fall and offers the additional hours of education and also meets the American Institute of CPA’s requirements for new members. Graduates of the program, designed to be completed in one year, will have more than 36 hours of ac-counting education coupled with more than 36 hours of general business education.

The training may seem extensive, Hansen notes, but the CPA exam is a challenging test that only about half of test-takers pass

annually. While the CPA designation is not required, many accountants prefer to obtain it because it opens up more career pos-sibilities. Accountants who are not a CPA, for example, could work for a company and

perform financial analyses, but only a CPA can conduct an audit. Many employers seek CPAs because they must adhere to a profes-sional code of conduct. “Here is a person who is qualified, competent, and ethical,” Hansen notes.

With about 50 to 60 students in the un-dergraduate accounting program, Hansen expects anywhere from six to 12 students in the master’s program this fall. Ultimately, he’d like to see an average of 15 students per year. Utica College will be able to staff the program with its current staff, Hansen notes.

The college has marketed the new pro-gram locally with both print and radio adver-tising, says John Rowe, director of graduate admissions and interim director of under-graduate admissions. Utica College has also reached out to current undergraduates in the accounting program along with those who graduated this year.

“I have reached out to Mohawk Valley accounting firms and CPA firms to let them know we are offering the program,” Rowe says. “In addition, my office has contact-ed accounting departments in New York, Pennsylvania, and New England colleges and universities to let them know we now offer the program.”

For next year’s class, Rowe says the col-lege is directly targeting senior accounting students across the northeastern United States and into Ontario, Canada. The col-lege’s international recruitment office is working to reach out to potential gradu-ate students in countries such as China, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia.

More information about the program is available online at www.utica.edu/academ-ic/ssm/accounting/mba/index.cfm.

Founded in 1946, Utica College has 2,537 undergraduate students, 736 graduate stu-dents, and offers 38 majors and 20 graduate programs.

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July 5, 2013 The Mohawk Valley Business Journal • 5

Number of employment dis-crimination lawsuits declines

8

C. When Plaintiffs Do Prevail after Trial, How Much Do They Win?

There were 21 jury trials in Upstate New York during the 2007 through 2011 period. In the nine jury

trials in which plaintiffs prevailed, the verdicts in the Northern District ranged from $1 to $1,260,0803 (not including attorney’s fees), while in the Western District there was one award for $150,000. The average award

$312,510, for the Western District $150,000, and for Upstate New York $294,453 (the median for Upstate was $250,000).

There were 58 jury trials in Upstate New York during the longer 2001 through 2011 period studied. In the 23 jury trials in which plaintiffs prevailed, the verdicts in the Northern District ranged from $1 to $15,142,9734 (not including attorney’s fees), while in the Western District these awards ranged from $30,000 to $575,250. The average award for Upstate New York was $886,439 (while the median award was $150,0005

by the Court (see footnote 4) to $454,303. Because the original award was so far beyond that statutorily

During the earlier 1991 through 2000 period

was $878,421; the average award in the Western District was $255,941; and the average award in Upstate New York was $649,086. The median award for Upstate New York during this earlier period was $107,252.

Graph 12

Average Jury Award

January 1, 2007 - December 31, 2011

Graph 13

Average Jury Award

January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2011

Graph 13A

Average Jury Award (Modified)

January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2011

Graph 14

Average Jury Award

January 1, 1991 - December 31, 2000January 1, 1991 - December 31, 2000

When plaintiffs do prevail after trial, how much do they win?

8

C. When Plaintiffs Do Prevail after Trial, How Much Do They Win?

There were 21 jury trials in Upstate New York during the 2007 through 2011 period. In the nine jury

trials in which plaintiffs prevailed, the verdicts in the Northern District ranged from $1 to $1,260,0803 (not including attorney’s fees), while in the Western District there was one award for $150,000. The average award

$312,510, for the Western District $150,000, and for Upstate New York $294,453 (the median for Upstate was $250,000).

There were 58 jury trials in Upstate New York during the longer 2001 through 2011 period studied. In the 23 jury trials in which plaintiffs prevailed, the verdicts in the Northern District ranged from $1 to $15,142,9734 (not including attorney’s fees), while in the Western District these awards ranged from $30,000 to $575,250. The average award for Upstate New York was $886,439 (while the median award was $150,0005

by the Court (see footnote 4) to $454,303. Because the original award was so far beyond that statutorily

During the earlier 1991 through 2000 period

was $878,421; the average award in the Western District was $255,941; and the average award in Upstate New York was $649,086. The median award for Upstate New York during this earlier period was $107,252.

Graph 12

Average Jury Award

January 1, 2007 - December 31, 2011

Graph 13

Average Jury Award

January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2011

Graph 13A

Average Jury Award (Modified)

January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2011

Graph 14

Average Jury Award

January 1, 1991 - December 31, 2000

SOURCE: BOND, SCHOENECK & KING

BY TRACI DELORECONTRIBUTING WRITER

A 2012 study by Syracuse–based law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC of employment discrimina-

tion across upstate and western New York shows that employment litigation is declin-ing, while attorneys’ fees and jury awards for cases are rising.

The law firm, which also has a Utica office, first prepared a study of employment litiga-tion in 2001, with an update in 2007. This 2012 study updates those previous analyses with in-formation from 2007 through 2011 from U.S. District Courts for the Western and Northern Districts of New York. Those courts include a 49-county region from Buffalo to Albany and from the lower Hudson Valley to the Canadian border.

According to the Bond study, there were a total of 936 employment discrimination cases filed in the two court districts be-tween Jan. 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2011, and 2,436 cases filed during the longer 2001 through 2011 period. That’s down from 2,757 cases filed between 1991 and 2000.

From 2007 through 2011, the upstate region averaged just over 187 employ-ment-related cases per year, down from an average of 276 cases per year from 1991 through 2000.

“It’s a bit surprising,” John Gaal, a mem-ber (partner) and labor and employment law attorney at Bond, Schoeneck & King, says of the declining numbers. “You expect in worse economic times, frankly, more liti-gation, not less, because employees have less options.” The typical trend during a down economy, when it’s harder for an employee to turn around and find another job, is to see steady or even increasing litigation levels, he notes.

However, there are a number of reasons why the number of lawsuits is declining, Gaal says.

First, employers have become much more aware of the issue and are taking appropriate steps to minimize the risk of litigation, he says. “Most employers of any degree of sophistication are much more sensitive to these issues,” he says. These companies have trained human-resources staff who are prepared to handle employee issues properly and with sensitivity.

Another factor is that defendant employ-ers continue to prevail in the majority of such cases that go to trial, Gaal says. The Bond, Schoeneck & King study shows that employers won in 60 percent of the cases tried across upstate New York from 2007 to 2011. Note that of the 936 cases filed during that period, only 21 of the cases actually went to trial, with the rest disposed of without a trial.

Gaal believes that plaintiff attorneys are doing a better job of weeding out cases they are unlikely to win.

The drop in cases could also reflect a growing number of cases where griev-ances are not aired in court but rather through an administrative hearing process conducted by the New York State Division of Human Rights. This process does not involve the courts and does not require an

attorney, making it a cost-effective option for some complainants, Gaal notes. He did not have statistics on how many employ-ment cases go through this process annu-ally, but noted that enough cases may be diverted to this route to affect the number of cases filed in court.

While the number of court cases is declining, the battles can still be expen-

See LAWSUITS, page 7

6 • The Mohawk Valley Business Journal July 5, 2013

facturing locations worldwide, including facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

“We are a technology company serving a technology industry,” Evans says. “The demand from our customers and the pres-sure of our competitors is relentless … We need to listen carefully to our customers for clues as to where the technological roadmap leads in order to remain ahead of the development curve.”

Indium must be listening to its custom-ers because its sales have grown steadily. A decade ago, The Business Journal esti-mated the company’s annual revenue at about $100 million. Today, we estimate that Indium generates about $225 million. Even during the economic turmoil of the past five years, total employment has grown from 530 to 617, a 16.4 percent increase. During the same period, employment in Central New York has increased from 350 to 378.

Of the 11 facilities, five are in the U.S.: two in Utica, one in Clinton, one in Rome, and one in Chicago. Indium opened its first Asian factory in Singapore in 1995. Other plants are located in China, South Korea, and the U.K. The U.S. facilities combined equal about 300,000 square feet with another 85,000 square feet located overseas. The property is both owned and leased.

“Research and development is critical to the success of our company,” says Richard (Rick) Short, the director of marketing

communications. “We have 30 em-ployees assigned to R&D with at least 50 people in the company who hold advanced degrees in STEM (science, tech-nology, engineer-ing, math) … But we’re more than [a group of] lab coats … We integrate our research people into teams deal-ing with process, equipment, and materials within

a particular market, such as semi-conduc-tors … They are part of the manufacturing operation.” Indium holds more than 50 patents.

Short notes that Indium has no fixed formula for investing in R&D. “We use our customers’ needs and competitors’ [ac-tions] as benchmarks. Evans adds that “… we invest [in R&D] based on opportunities developed by our marketing, sales, and tech team. As opportunities increase, so does our R&D.”

“Indium’s growth has been largely or-ganic,” says Evans. “Our acquisitions have been to purchase product lines that expand or complement our operations. [The com-pany] is not highly acquisitive, preferring to be a strategic buyer. We are convinced that we are better off growing organically.” Indium’s sales growth has come mostly from overseas. “We easily export two-thirds

of our products … That’s where the cus-tomers and growth are today.”

Recruiting at the executive level can be a challenge at Indium. “We need people with particular skills, who work well with a team and fit into the company culture,” says Evans.

“New hires must be ready to relocate their families to a rural setting and be prepared to travel,” adds Short. “The com-pany culture embraces living with con-stant change and having a natural curiosity. Uncertainty [at Indium] is a way of life. We need people who can thrive in a changing environment. We have [sometimes] even hired our customers [because they have this attribute]. Our best success comes with hiring candidates from the area or who want to move back to the area. We are also successful with those who grew up in an area similar to the Mohawk Valley.”

The Clinton headquarters includes two companies — the Indium Corporation and the Germanium Corporation. The Germanium operation resides in 20,000 square feet at the Lincoln Ave. location in Utica. It includes both manufacturing and process development. Purified germanium is a semiconductor, with an appearance similar to silicon. It is used mostly for fiber-optic systems, infrared optics, as polym-erization catalysts, and for electronic and solar applications. The Germanium Corp. manufactures the core of optical fiber, a part of the business that is growing rapidly. The stock of both companies is owned by the William Macartney family of Florida.

The executive team at Indium is com-prised of Macartney as chairman of the board, Evans as president and CEO, Leslie Schenk as CFO, Ross Berntson as vice president of sales and marketing and tech-nical support, Wayne Hosey as vice presi-

dent of operations, and Dr. Ning-Cheng Lee as chief technical officer and vice president of product development.

Indium has embraced social media as a marketing and outreach tool. “We are recognized for our pioneering … work with video, blogging, and the common social-media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn,” says Short. “We utilize each channel separately … as each has a differ-ent audience and role. For example, … our award-winning activities in blogging are directed at a very technical audience and our goal is to earn technological respect … We have more than 70 technical blogs and translate them into six languages in addi-tion to English. Our activities on Facebook, however, are directed at the communities in which we live and operate, and our goal is to share our activities with our neigh-bors, friends, and families.”

“Indium deals with a number of area professionals,” says Evans. “In the area of banking, we work with Adirondack Bank, HSBC, and J.P. Morgan Chase. Our ac-counting is handled by PriceWaterhouse Coopers. For legal work we turn to Kiernan & Kiernan (Utica), Martin & Rayhill (Utica) for human resources, Harris Beach for intellectual-property protection, and Bond Schoeneck & King for regulatory compli-ance.

The Indium Corporation was founded on March 13, 1934, as a collaboration among Dr. William S. Murray, the Oneida Community Ltd., and the Anaconda Mining Company. Murray, a Colgate University graduate who was both inventive and en-trepreneurial, tried to utilize indium (an element discovered in 1863) to prevent silverware from tarnishing. He was not suc-cessful in his efforts but went on to discov-er other applications for indium. Macartney

acquired the company in the 1960s.Evans graduated Whitesboro High School

and attended Mohawk Valley Community College, where he earned a degree in engineering science. He received his bach-elor’s degree from Clarkson College of Technology (now Clarkson University) in chemical engineering and his M.B.A. from RPI. Evans, now 53, joined Indium 32 years ago as a fresh-out-of-college chemical engi-neer. He worked in the customer-service department and then in the new-product-development department. He became pres-ident in 1996. Evans lives in Clinton with his wife Denyse. The couple has two children, Nicole and Christopher.

Citing the company’s guiding philoso-phy called “The Indium Way,” Evans says “Indium has succeeded over the decades … because of our market focus, … materi-als expertise, … and process excellence … All are necessary for our success. But the one common denominator is our [com-pany] culture, built on respect, apprecia-tion, and achievement … This challenging climate, which bedevils all corporations, serves to make us stronger … It’s The Indium Way that continually separates us from the competition … The Indium team puts it all together with good old-fashioned hard work and brains.”

“We have to grow to secure the future,” concludes Evans. “Indium Corporation is an agile company that can respond quickly to a changing environment, but it is also a company that thinks long-term, thinks strategically. That’s an advantage in being privately [held]. The owner set the culture before I joined the company, and it still guides us today.” q

Contact Poltenson at npoltenson@tmvbj.com

INDIUM: The firm has embraced social media as a marketing and outreach toolContinued from page 1

photo courtesy of the indium corporation

A product is developed at the Indium Corporation. The business was founded on March 13, 1934, as a collaboration among Dr. William S. Murray, the Oneida Community Ltd., and the Anaconda Mining Company.

“We easily export two-thirds of our products … that’s where

the customers and growth are today.”n GreG evAnS

president and CEO of Indium

July 5, 2013 The Mohawk Valley Business Journal • 7

sive, Gaal says. For the 2007 through 2011 period, the average jury award in Upstate was $294,453 with attorney fees of $114,804 compared with an average jury award of $649,086 and attorney fees of $77,971 from 1991 to 2000. While the jury awards seem to be trending downward, Gaal notes that it’s difficult to compare those figures accurate-ly because juries can, and have, awarded amounts that exceed court-imposed caps and those large awards skew the figures and result in figures much larger than what was actually paid out.

While these figures must all be taken with a grain of salt, employers should be aware of them and know what’s happening in the area of employment litigation, Gaal says.

“It does show that these cases still hap-pen, and they cost a lot of money,” he says. They also take time and divert an em-ployer’s attention from the daily running of their business. “So, it’s a risk-management issue,” Gaal says.

Employers have steps they can take to reduce their risk of being on the wrong end of an employment-discrimination lawsuit. Simple steps such as providing adequate training to anyone who super-vises employees in a hiring/firing man-ner, documenting employee issues such as tardiness, and promoting good com-munication between supervisors and em-ployees can help ward off legal troubles, Gaal explains.

The Bond study also showed a decline in gender, age, and race-related employment discrimination cases offset by an increase in general employment-discrimination claims including those based on religion, national origin, and retaliation.

The complete Bond study is available online at www.bsk.com/site/rte_uploads/files/2012%20Study%20of%20Employment%20Discrimination%20Litigation.pdf

Bond, Schoeneck & King employs 210 lawyers. In addition to Syracuse and Utica, it has offices in Albany, Buffalo, Garden City (Long Island), Ithaca, New York City, Oswego, Rochester, as well as Florida and Kansas. The firm’s practice areas include

employee benefits, labor, business, higher education, intellectual property, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and tax law.

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Good Economic Plans Don’t Need Fancy Names, They Need Real Substance

All of New York needs re-lief from taxes and regula-tions in order to grow

T his state needs a job-creation agenda with real substance that will help all of New York’s job-creators and resi-

dents, rather than the START-UP NY law put forth [and signed] by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The governor’s plan gives tax breaks to businesses and 10,000 employees who locate in special tax-free zones sited at SUNY and CUNY campuses. Current busi-nesses and residents won’t qualify, but are expected to pay for the program. The Fiscal Policy Institute issued a warning that the proposal would, in fact, harm New York’s already-struggling economy.

Cuomo is betting on a plan that rewards newcomers and ignores current residents and

job-creators who have stuck it out during one of the worst economic climates in state his-tory. Personally, I don’t see how that’s going to work.

Let’s get back to the basics — basics with real substance. If you want to see rapid growth and recovery in our economy, we must free our resi-dents, businesses, and localities from the numerous burdensome taxes and regulations currently placed on them. That’s when we’ll see real change.

Currently, about 800,000 New Yorkers remain unemployed. [I have] sponsored legislation that would provide relief from taxes, representing $150 million in job-creating tax relief. Furthermore, there are

thousands of regulations on businesses that [I] propose to eliminate.

New York has perpetually been ranked poorly by economists, the business media and research groups in the areas of taxation and business climate. The state is ranked 50th by the Tax Foundation, 49th by Chief Executive Magazine, 37th by CNBC, 23rd by Forbes and 50th in economic outlook by the American Legislative Exchange Council. Additionally, a recent Ball State University study gave New York an “F” in manufacturing climate. New Yorkers need real relief now.

Assemblyman Marc W. Butler (R,C,I–Newport) represents the 118th district of the New York State Assembly, which encom-passes parts of Oneida and St. Lawrence counties, most of Herkimer County, and all of Hamilton and Fulton counties. Contact Assemblyman Butler at butlerm@assembly.state.ny.us. This editorial is drawn from a news release his office issued on June 21.

MARC W. BUTLEROPINION

LAWSUITS: Employers have steps they can take to reduce their riskContinued from page 5

8 • The Mohawk Valley Business Journal July 5, 2013

Besides TK99/TK105, ESPN Radio, and KROCK, Galaxy also operates Syracuse radio stations that include Sunny 102 (WZUN 102.1 FM, 106.1 FM in Oswego) and ESPN Deportes (WSCP 1070AM in Oswego), which is ESPN’s Spanish-speaking network, according to the Galaxy website.

Galaxy’s 96.9 WOUR serves as the net-work affiliate for listeners in the Utica–Rome area, according to the Galaxy website. Besides WOUR, the company also operates Mix 102.5 (WUMX-FM), KROCK 94.9 (WKLL-FM), and ESPN Radio 99.1 FM and 1310 AM.

Galaxy Communication employs about 80 people between its Syracuse headquar-ters and the location in Utica. Most of the employees, or between 70 percent and 80 percent, work in the Syracuse location, Levine says.

The Utica stations operate at 39 Kellogg Road in New Hartford, according to the

Galaxy website. Galaxy generates about $13 million in

annual revenue, Levine says.

Local market advertising-revenue increase

As Levine takes steps to become Galaxy’s full owner, he’s noticing a trend in the Syracuse radio market and has a theory as to why it’s occurring.

Advertising revenue in the Syracuse radio market through May 31 is up about 12 percent compared to the same time pe-riod in 2012, according to Levine.

He’s citing figures from Miller Kaplan Arase, LLP, a Los Angeles–based account-ing firm that Levine says surveys the Syracuse radio market every month.

Levine believes the reduced print sched-ule for The Post-Standard for delivery to homes and newsstands is a factor in the increased radio-advertising revenue.

The reduced print schedule took ef-fect earlier this year when the Syracuse

Media Group became the parent company of both the newspaper and its sister web-site, Syracuse.com.

Levine is citing the combined adver-tising revenue of his company, Galaxy Communications, along with two of its local competitors, Clear Channel Communications, which operates six radio stations (WSYR 570 AM, WSYR 106.9 FM, WHEN 620 AM, WWHT 107.9 FM, WYYY 94.5FM, and WBBS 104.7FM) at 500 Plum St. in Syracuse, and Cumulus Media, which operates four radio stations (WSKO 1260AM, WNTQ 93.1 FM, WAQX 95.7FM, WXTL 105.9 FM) at 1074 James St. in Syracuse.

“We’re doing better than the overall market,” Levine says, declining to pro-vide more specific numbers for Galaxy Communications.

When Galaxy crafted its budget for 2013, Levine and his team believed that advertis-ing revenue in the Syracuse radio market would increase 2 percent to 3 percent over

the 12-month period.“That was our best guess,” he says.Levine has operated in the Syracuse

radio market for about 20 years, he says, and can’t recall seeing a double-digit, year-to-date advertising revenue figure like the ine through May.

Radio-advertising revenue nationwide in the first quarter was “flat,” according to Levine, and he’s hearing that advertising revenue in the second quarter will increase 2 percent to 3 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago.

“The industry itself has not gone up double digits,” he says, figuring the rev-enue increase in the Syracuse market isn’t part of a national trend.

The newspaper reducing its weekly print schedule is a “major difference” in the Syracuse market compared to any others, Levine says. q

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@tmvbj.com

Continued from page 2

LEVINE: Galaxy generates about $13 million in annual revenue

consideration based on the focus that we have toward client satisfaction,” Fox says.

O’Brien & Gere hired four full-time em-ployees to staff the Utica location, which it considers part of its Central New York region. That region has a combined em-ployee count of about 400 in the Syracuse headquarters, the facility in Clay, and the new Utica office, according to the firm.

Altogether, O’Brien & Gere employs about 600 in its New York offices and more than 900 in 26 offices companywide, the firm said.

O’Brien & Gere, an employee-owned firm, declined to disclose how much it cost to open the Utica location or how it financed the opening.

The firm is leasing its Utica space from First & Main, LLC, Madden says.

Once it determined an office in Utica would benefit the firm’s relationship with its clients there, O’Brien & Gere had its fa-cilities group seek out a possible location.

It’s a group of employees that focuses on finding potential office spaces. Once it had uncovered the available space in the Hurd building, Madden then reviewed the selec-tion and liked what he saw in the available “open space.”

“[It’s] near our clients. It’s downtown. I said, okay, this is the space we want to get with,” Madden says, describing his initial reaction to the office location.

The landlord handled the space prepara-tion, Madden says.

The firm’s client base in the Mohawk Valley is a mix of organizations in both the private and public sector.

O’Brien & Gere is providing environ-mental-compliance services for Burrows Paper Corp. in Little Falls. The company’s clients also include Special Metals Corp. in

New Hartford and ConMed Corp., a medi-cal-device maker headquartered in Utica.

The firm is also providing engineering and environmental services for Mohawk Valley EDGE on two upcoming nanotech-nology facilities on the campus of SUNYIT

in Marcy, according to Madden. Mohawk Valley EDGE is an economic-

development organization based in Rome.O’Brien & Gere is also providing en-

gineering services for the city of Utica in its project to redevelop Harbor Point.

The firm’s other municipal clients in the region include Oneida County, the town of Whitestown, and the Mohawk Valley Water Authority, the company said. q

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@tmvbj.com

O’BrIEN & GErE: The company hired four full-time employees to staff the Utica location

Continued from page 1

Photo courtesy of o’brien & Gere

Syracuse-based engineering firm O’Brien & Gere, Inc. on June 24 announced the opening of an office inside the Hurd building at 101 First St. in Utica, the firm’s eighth location in New York. The office is intended to help the firm better serve its clients in the Mohawk Valley.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Next Issue of The Mohawk Valley Business Journal: September 27, 2013

July 5, 2013 The Mohawk Valley Business Journal • 9

Profiling local

nonprofit organizations

NonprofitFINANCIAL DATA

Fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2012 (information from the organization’s 2012 annual report)

The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter, NYSARC

245 Genesee St. Utica, NY 13501

Phone: (315) 735-6477

www.thearcolc.orgKEY STAFF

CEO Karen KorotzerCEO 2011 Compensation $153,692VP Operations Gail MiskowiecVP Community Supports Mary Jane TotteyVP Policy & Planning Rosemary SpriggsCFO Vincent Vetere

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERSPRESIDENT

Joanna GrecoVICE PRESIDENT

Leland McCormacTREASURER

David ScharfSECRETARY

Deborah McGrath

BOARD MEMBERSRaphael AlcuriJames D’OnofrioJoanna GrecoJohn KowalczykSuzanne LavinDavid MathisLeland McCormacDeborah McGrathZaida MorellSteve NaciewiczRuth RidgwayDavid ScharfJack SpaethDavid Wojnas

MISSION“To enable persons with disabilities and their families to achieve their potential through self-determined goals in partnership with the agency. We will provide leadership in our community to develop the necessary human and financial resources to fulfill this mission.”

PROGRAMS AND SERVICESThe Arc offers a full spectrum of services for developmentally dis-abled individuals. Included are educational, clinical, therapeutic, residential, vocational, employment, service coordination, day habilitation, respite, and arts programs, overseen by a staff of highly trained professionals.

RECENT ORGANIZATIONAL HIGHLIGHTSAfter 36 years of service, Vincent Colgan retired from The Arc, and the training center at the 245 location was named after him. Friends of the Arc Foundation held its 26th annual Arc gala, raising $33,600 for the Arc. The Not-So-Silent Auction held at Yahnundasis Golf Club raised more than $40,000. The Arc also began the accreditation pro-cess with the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL), and four staff members achieved certified trainer status. The Arc also implemented centralized hiring.

PLANNING/FUNDRAISING OUTLOOK FOR 2013“Continue to build partnerships with community colleagues and businesses. Increase our employment options for people we serve and local businesses. Continue to enhance our superior quality of services, supports, and products for our community. Invest in our workforce through leadership development opportunities. Continue to build on our organizational efficiencies and cost sav-ings programs. Move into next phase of Strategic Plan implementa-tion and evaluation; as well as CQL accreditation process.”

Revenue SourcesMedicaid $21,664,570 67.5%OPWDD/OMH $3,619,809 11.3%Subcontract Income $2,433,156 7.6%Program Fees $1,785,673 5.6%DoH SED & Schools $1,068,099 3.3%Food Stamp Revenue $343,378 1.0%County Funding $30,727 0.1%Contributions $176,273 0.6%Chapter & Other $966,354 3.0%

Total Revenue $32,088,039

ExpendituresResidential $9,095,218 28.9%Day Services $5,258,250 16.7%Vocational $4,832,097 15.4%Employment $2,862,734 9.1%Community & Family $2,768,158 8.8%Service Coordination $1,363,047 4.3%Children’s Services $249,186 0.8%Transportation $1,887,527 6.0%Administration $2,886,754 9.2%Other $286,221 0.9%

Total Expenses $31,489,192 Surplus for the Year $598,847

BY NICOLE COLLINSJOURNAL STAFF

UTICA — The goal of The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter is to expand its focus and efforts to become a quality leader in its service area.

Since September 2012, the Arc has been in the process of becoming ac-credited by the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL), an organiza-tion that works with human-service organizations and systems to continu-ally define, measure, and improve the quality of life of all people. We want to “show the local community that not only do we provide quality services, but that we are also quality leaders,” says Karen Korotzer, CEO of The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter.

With this accreditation, The Arc, which serves 2,000 developmentally disabled individuals in Oneida and Lewis counties, will move from a tra-ditional program service to a per-son-centered agency. This transition includes conducting in-depth personal interviews of each person who re-ceives support on that individual’s needs and wants, and then helps the person achieve those goals. Currently, four Arc staff members have achieved certified trainer status. The Arc an-ticipates completing the training and receiving accreditation by June 2014, says Aida Mariani, director of com-munications and development at the Utica–based nonprofit.

As part of the 55-chapter, statewide NYSARC, The Arc, Oneida-Lewis isn’t the only chapter working toward CQL accreditation. Nine others chapters are also in the process and three other already have achieved this ac-

creditation — Liberty (Montgomery Country chapter), Chemung ARC, and the Adirondack Arc. While it’s entirely up to the individual chap-ter if it wants to seek CQL accredi-tation, NYSARC “support[s] any program that enhances quality out-comes among NYSARC’s chapters,” says Jayson White, assistant execu-tive director for communications at NYSARC, Inc.

Branching outWhen Mariani joined The Arc in

November 2011, after working at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare for 11 years, one of her goals for the organi-zation was to branch out and be more involved in the community it serves.

With 52 locations across two counties (227,600 square feet of its property is owned, 53,500 square feet of it is rented), you’d think that would be covered, but not so. “It’s hard to be everywhere at once. You tend to do the same thing all the time because it works,” says Mariani.

For instance, in its nearly 60-year history, The Arc had never ventured into Rome. To remedy this, The Arc joined the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce, and planned its first fund-raiser in the area. On June 8, the Friends of the Arc Foundation held a wine and food tasting event at the Teugega Country Club in Rome. The

Corner

The Arc, Oneida-Lewis seeks to show quality leadership

The ARC, Oneida-Lewis Chapter, NYSARC facts Founded: 1954 Employees: 750 Volunteers: 100 Service area: Oneida and Lewis counties

See ARC, page 11

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORRI LENAGHEN, CAPTIVATIONS PHOTOGRAPHY

From left to right: State Senator Joseph Griffo, Arc CEO Karen Korotzer, Board President Joanna Greco, and Rome Mayor Joe Fusco at the first fundraising event in Rome, called Pour Your Heart Out, on June 8.

10 • The Mohawk Valley Business Journal July 5, 2013

M O H A W K V A L L E YBusiness Journal

Vol. 13, No. 4 • July 5, 2013

NEWS Editor-in-Chief .......................Adam Rombel

arombel@tmvbj.com

Associate Editor ............Maria J. Carbonaromcarbonaro@tmvbj.com

Staff Writers ........................Norm Poltensonnpoltenson@tmvbj.com

......................................................... Eric Reinhardtereinhardt@tmvbj.com

........................................................Jennifer Petersjpeters@tmvbj.com

Contributing Writers ...............Traci DeLore

Production Manager ......................Erin Zehrewebb@tmvbj.com

Research Manager ................. Nicole Collinsncollins@tmvbj.com

SALES

Sr. Account Managers ......................................Bernard B. Bregman

bbregman@tmvbj.com

Mary LaMacchiamlamacchia@tmvbj.com

Marketing ......................BBB Marketing Inc.

CIRCULATION Circulation Management ...(315) 579-3927

AdmINISTRATIvE Publisher..........................Norman Poltenson

npoltenson@tmvbj.com

Chief Operating Officer .....Marny Neshermnesher@tmvbj.com

Business Manager .................... Kurt Bramerkbramer@tmvbj.com

The Mohawk Valley Business Journal (ISSN #1050-3005) is published six times a year by CNY Business Review, Inc. All contents copyrighted 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publica-tion may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.

financial recovery?Enter Adjusters International (AI), a di-

saster-recovery consulting organization head-quartered in Utica. Formed in 1985 by 13 regional insurance-adjusting companies with offices originally in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, and Puerto Rico, “the found-ers wanted to create a consortium of regional [insurance-adjuster] powerhouses to handle large disasters,” says Ronald A. Cuccaro, pres-ident and CEO of AI. “We wanted to maxi-mize our opportunities and be able to handle Fortune 500 companies and other large en-tities … Today, Adjusters International [a C-corporation] includes seven insurance-ad-juster companies which are all stockholders.”

The stockholders are the seven region-al corporations: Adjusters International Colorado, Inc. (Denver), Adjusters International Corporation (Seattle), Globe Midwest Corporation (Detroit), Greenspan Adjusters International, Inc. (San Francisco), The Goodman-Gable-Gould Company (Rockville, Md.), The Greenspan Company (Los Angeles), and Basloe, Levin & Cuccaro (BLC – Utica). BLC was founded in 1908 by Frank Basloe, a local real-estate broker who helped his clients with insurance claims.

“Since 1985, we have served 25,000 clients,” says Cuccaro … “Our national reach includes 275 employees in 45 offices [two offices located in Hawaii and one in British Columbia]. AI headquarters employs 27 full time, of whom 24 live in Central New York. … The company also retains 160 who work part time on a project-basis. The concept of a consortium is not un-like what accounting firms do today when they affiliate with an international group of indepen-dent [entities]. The difference here is that the regional companies own all of the stock in the consortium.” AI is licensed in all 50 states.

Adjusters International shares space with

BLC in a 25,000-square-foot building at 126 Business Park Drive in Utica. The original 10,000 feet was constructed in 1995 on 2.2 acres, and an additional 15,000 feet, which included a large training center, was added in 2006. BLC employs 32 full time, of whom 18 live in Central New York. BLC is a sub-S cor-poration; Cuccaro is the sole stockholder and also serves as BLC’s president and CEO.

“BLC offers its services through seven offices covering Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, northern Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, and some of Connecticut,” notes Stephen T. Surace, senior vice president and chief operating officer of BLC as well as the CFO of AI.

“In 1996, AI began competing against large engineering and consulting firms for RFPs (request-for-proposals) from public entities such as schools, states, municipalities, and not-for-profits for assistance with their recovery of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) disaster funding following presiden-tially declared disaster events,” says John W. Marini, a vice president and chief operating officer of AI. Marini joined AI in 1991. “We have responded to requests for help after hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, and most recently Sandy … We helped the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, [which] owned the World Trade Center, after 9/11. The state of Louisiana called us in to deal with the damages caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill resulting from the BP [British Petroleum] explosion in the Gulf [of Mexico]. And the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority turned to us when the ‘Big Dig’ tunnel in Boston collapsed.”

“In the FEMA model, AI is paid based on time and expenses. The insurance model is usually based on receiving a small percent-age of the funds recovered,” says Surace, “although we may also be paid for time and ex-penses, as was the case consulting on the BP spill.” Marini adds that “… AI always has 180

personnel with a variety of specialties ready to respond just to a FEMA-related operation.

Marini contends that, “AI is the nation’s premier disaster-recovery consulting orga-nization.” To back up his claim, he points to “… our ability to respond to any problem any-where. It doesn’t matter what the size or scope the job is. Further, we are the only agency that can handle FEMA in-house, without having to farm out any operations.” Surace points to “… the size of the AI network and the depth of its technical capacity and experience.” Cuccaro adds: “… AI helps its clients to get back to business as quickly as possible. No one else can do this as well.”

Cuccaro, 68, Marini, 52, and Surace, 38, are joined on the executive team by Jeffrey Shaw, 42, a company vice president who operates from an office in South Carolina and has been part of the organization for about 20 years. Shaw brings more than two decades of experi-ence in disaster recovery and specializes in the FEMA Public Assistance Program. He has been actively involved in AI’s hurricane operations. His expertise includes dispute resolution and appeals.

“Our business model [at AI] works very well,” says Cucarro. “No one can afford to sus-tain a national staff to anticipate every disaster. Our regional offices blanket the country, allow-ing us to respond quickly and move resources to wherever they are needed … Our business is growing because people continue to build along coastal areas and where there are natural disasters. It’s growing because very few [enti-ties] can handle large disasters. There is simply more property with exposure, along with more severe weather events, like rising sea levels.”

Cuccaro also points to the company’s ability to attract and retain seasoned employees as a key to AI’s success. “We have a very strong labor pool in the Utica area,” he says. “There are a number of retirees and engineers from firms that have downsized, along with project managers and estimators. These seasoned em-ployees are critical to our success. This gives us tremendous depth in the organization … We [expend] a lot of effort on training our adjusters and consultants, including employing trainers on staff. All of the FEMA training is done inter-nally … We have an advanced training center here in the Utica headquarters, and we also train in the field.”

Among his many duties, Cuccaro finds time to publish Adjusting Today, a technical publica-tion on property-insurance claims with a dis-tribution of 32,000 printed copies, and Disaster Recover Today (DRT), a technical newsletter that focuses on processes related to the FEMA Public Assistance Program. DRT enjoys a distri-bution of about 15,000 copies.

“We rely on a number of local vendors,” says Cucarro. “For our banking needs, we turn to NBT Bank. Our accounting firm is Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa CPA, P.C. in Syracuse. Jerry Stack of the Hiscock firm [Hiscock & Barclay LLP] in Syracuse handles our busi-ness/tax legal matters. The company’s travel needs are handled by Adams Travel Bureau here in New Hartford, and for printing we turn to Brodock Press in Utica and Dupli in Syracuse. Telecommunications is furnished by Northland Communications in Utica.”

AI contends it is primed to dominate the insurance-adjusting marketplace nationwide and has the capabilities to follow U.S. com-panies overseas to aid in resolving foreign claims. The key is to remain focused on what the company does best. Marini summarizes this attitude when he says: “We don’t want to be what we’re not.” q

Contact Poltenson at npoltenson@tmvbj.com315.733.0854

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AdJUSTERS: The stockholders are the seven regional corporationsContinued from page 1

July 5, 2013 The Mohawk Valley Business Journal • 11

THE LISTResearch by Nicole Collins

ncollins@tmvbj.com(315) 579-3911

Twitter: @cnybjresearch

ABOUT THE LISTInformation was provided by representatives of listed orga-nizations and their websites. Other groups may have been eligible but did not respond to our requests for informa-tion. While The Business Journal strives to print accurate information, it is not possible to independently verify all data submitted. We reserve the right to edit entries or delete categories for space considerations.

WHAT CONSTITUTES THE MOHAWK VALLEY?Mohawk Valley includes Herkimer and Oneida counties.

NEED A COPY OF A LIST?Electronic versions of all our lists, with additional fi elds of information and survey contacts, are available for purchase at our website, cnybj.com/ListResearch.aspx

WANT TO BE ON THE LIST?If your company would like to be considered for next year’s list, or another list, please email ncollins@cnybj.com

MOHAWK VALLEY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCERanked by No. of Members

Rank

NameAddressPhone/Website

No. ofMembers

—Membership

Dues

TotalRevenue

—Total

Expenses Fiscal Year

No. ofChamber

Staff Member Services & Benefits Executive Director or BoardYear

Estab.

1.Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce200 Genesee St.Utica, NY 13502(315) 724-3151/ mvchamber.org

700—

$208,000

$287,857—

$293,562

12/31/2012 5 informational seminars, energy/cost-reduction program, health/dental ins.

products, advertising & promotional services,referrals for members, networkingopportunities, business advocacy

Pamela G. Matt, ExecutiveDirector

John F. Kenealy, Chairman of theBoard

1896

2.Rome Area Chamber of Commerce139 W. Dominick St.Rome, NY 13440(315) 337-1700/ RomeChamber.com

600—

$150,000

$261,776—

$266,515

05/31/13 3 marketing & business promotions, workforcedevelopment in schools, professional

development in the workplace, legislativeaction, medical & dental insurance plans

Bill Guglielmo, President 1912

3.Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce420 E. German St.Herkimer, NY 13350(315) 866-7820/ herkimercountychamber.com

450—

$71,020

$404,432—

$165,715

12/31/11 2 member referral, web listing, group healthand dental insurance, networking and

advertising opportunities, voice of business,seminars, business recognition, phone app

John Scarano, Executive Director 1968

4.Clinton Chamber of Commerce21 West Park RowClinton, NY 13323(315) 853-1735/ clintonnychamber.org

185—NA

NA—NA

NA 2 health insurance, farmers market, clean-upClinton, Shopper Stroll, youth scholarships,

art & music festival, Summer Stroll, ARTRocks

Ferris J. Betrus, Jr., ExecutiveVice President

1950

5.Greater Oneida Chamber of Commerce136 Lenox Ave.Oneida, NY 13421(315) 363-4300/ oneidachamberny.org

174—

$24,609

$56,347—

$64,761

12/31/11 1 advertising, networking, website, annualevents, farmers market, high school

scholarship, insurance referrals, newsletter,member-to-member benefits

Rebecca Halstrom-O'Beirne,Board President

Joseph Stabb, Interim-ExecutiveAdministrator

1893

6.Boonville Area Chamber of Commerce122 Main St.Boonville, NY 13309(315) 942-5112/ boonvillechamber.com

170—

$8,000

$53,638—

$57,058

12/31/11 1 "Best of Boonville" promotion, Fall ArtsFestival, village Christmas program, gift

certificates, website advertising, businesspromotion, tourist information

Bill Flack, PresidentMelinda Wittwer, Executive

Secretary

1956

7.Camden Area Chamber of CommerceP.O. Box 134Camden, NY 13316(315) 245-5000/ camdennychamber.com

135—

$8,100

NA—NA

12/31/12 2 annual member business directory, website,promotion of community events, calendar of

events, networking, scholarships, giftcertificate program

Barbara Crist, PresidentJeffery Bliss, Vice President

Nancy Taskey, TreasurerSamantha Weber, Secretary

1957

8.Trenton Chamber of CommerceP.O. Box 311Barneveld, NY 13304trentonchamber.com

120—

$4,000

NA—NA

NA 0 annual endowment award, yearly memberbrochure, website with member listing/links,affiliated with Adirondack Foothills Visitor

Information Center, health-insurance option

Debby Leiker, PresidentFitz Hardiman, Vice President

John McCann, TreasurerBetsy Mack, Secretary

1991

9.New Hartford Chamber of Commerce48 Genesee St.New Hartford, NY 13413(315) 735-1974/ newhartfordchamber.com

100—NA

NA—NA

NA 0 fostering economic vitality and quality of lifein New Hartford

Mark Turnbull, PresidentMark V. Cioni, Vice President

Jack Jones, TreasurerMaureen Netzband, Secretary

1974

10.Marcy Chamber of CommerceP.O. Box 429Marcy, NY 13403(315) 725-3294/ marcychamber.com

83—NA

NA—NA

NA 0 foster a positive business environment andnurture growth of current and future

business, annual scholarship program,beautification projects, networking

opportunities

Lesley A. Grogan, President 1963

11.Kuyahoora Valley Chamber of CommerceP. O. Box 5Newport, NY 13431(315) 826-7390/ kuyahooravalley.net

48—NA

NA—NA

12/31/2011 0 tourism, support local business, creativelybuild new economic opportunities, encourage

new business, monthly meetings,membership guide

Michael Papp, PresidentMelissa McCredie, Vice President

Patricia Tyson, TreasurerKrista Stupka, Secretary

2006

organization says it received a strong re-sponse from Rome businesses and natives, with about 200 people in attendance, includ-ing State Senator Joseph Griffo and Rome Mayor Joseph Fusco.

“It was a great success,” says Korotzer, who hopes to continue holding an event there every year. Even though The Arc pro-vides services to individuals in the Rome area, this event was an opportunity for the organization to introduce the Rome community to The Arc’s mission and the services it provides.

Lewis County is another area in which The Arc is trying to be more involved. Although The Arc has a presence in the county with its services and Lewis County Industries, it hasn’t held any fundraising events there. Korotzer says the organiza-tion is gathering ideas for future events in the county, as it wants to increase public awareness of The Arc’s programs and ser-vices.

To help amp up its marketing efforts, The Arc has produced and aired three commercials on local channels in the past 12 months. “People don’t know what’s right down the street from them,” say Mariani. The Arc is also gaining recognition from the community. Board President Joanna Greco was honored in the board leader-ship category at the Nonprofit Awards in March, an event produced by The Central New York Business Journal’s sister com-pany, BizEventz.

Inside The ArcIn the first week of June, The ARC un-

veiled a new website. MPW Marketing, an advertising agency based in Clinton, won the bid to do the work on the website and

started the project in January 2013. The new site offers a sleek design with easy navigation and more tools to find out more about services, programs, and events, says Mariani.

Another feature for the 750 Arc employees is that they can now access the company’s intranet from any computer or mobile device for up-to-date information, forms, and calen-dar items. Korotzer, who started as CEO in January 2011, was adamant about having an intranet. “There’s so much going on, employ-ees need to know what’s happening. They need a central place that provides that info and is easily accessible,” says Korozter.

Korotzer, originally from Oneida in Madison County, first attended Mohawk Valley Community College, and then went onto SUNY Albany. She started her career as a social worker at the Schenectady NYSARC chapter. From there she moved to state positions to gain more manage-ment experience, working at the Office of Mental Health for a few years, and then at the Office of People with Developmental

Disabilities for six years. Korotzer’s goal was to get back to working at a nonprofit — “it’s where my passion is,” she says. “It was an interest of mine to be more involved in [the] local community and get back in Central New York, where my roots are.”

Fighting for those with developmental disabilities is Korotzer’s job, but the reason why she does it is very personal. Her great uncle Beecher, a man she never met, had disabilities and was institutionalized be-cause his family couldn’t provide him with the help he needed. This was in the early 1900s before the emergence of nonprofits and community organizations to help sup-port people with these disabilities. Korotzer feels strongly about keeping nonprofits in business and community support going to help prevent developmentally disabled indi-viduals from entering institutions.

For 2012, The Arc generated $32 mil-lion in revenue, a slight increase from the $31.2 million it produced in 2011.

Contact Collins at ncollins@tmvbj.com

Continued from page 9

ARC: Employees can now access the company’s intranet from any computer or mobile device

Reach us on the Webwww.bizeventz.com

12 • The Mohawk Valley Business Journal July 5, 2013