For those interested in Technology and Economic activity in Upstate NY... (New York: taxation, housing)

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Subsidies increase for Upstate nuclear plants, thanks to low power prices: https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/0...er-prices.html

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Constellation Brands to sell about 30 wine and spirits brands for $1.7 billion | Innovation Trail

Businesses sued over website accessibility; motive questioned | Innovation Trail

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OSHA FINES REMINGTON ARMS AFTER WORKER LOSES FINGERTIP AT ILION FACTORY: https://www.cnybj.com/osha-fines-rem...ilion-factory/

MACNY ANNOUNCES BARTELL MACHINERY, RAYMOND EXECUTIVES AS WALL OF FAME INDUCTEES: https://www.cnybj.com/macny-names-20...ame-inductees/
Info for both of these companies: https://bartellmachinery.com/
https://recruiting2.ultipro.com/HEI1...postedDateDesc

https://www.raymondcorp.com/
https://recruiting.adp.com/srccar/pu...rnalCareerSite

London Stock Exchange Group opens an office in Buffalo: https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/..._news_headline

How Ecovative is making plant-based steaks out of mushroom material(snippet): https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/n..._news_headline
Company info: https://ecovativedesign.com/
https://ecovativedesign.com/careers

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Three go-getters form own company(snippet): https://rbj.net/2019/04/05/three-go-...m-own-company/
Company info: https://theindiequeens.com/

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Transcat acquires Southern California company(snippet): https://rbj.net/2019/04/05/transcat-...ornia-company/
Company info: https://www.transcat.com/
https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/...urrentOpenings (26 openings in NY, with 23 in Rochester and 3 in Utica)

Harris, L3 merger receives shareholder go-ahead(snippet): https://rbj.net/2019/04/05/harris-l3...lder-go-ahead/
Harris info: https://www.harris.com/locations
https://www.harris.com/
https://careers.harris.com/search-jo.../-75x4999/50/2 (116 openings in Rochester)
L3: https://www.l3t.com/

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Business Report: It looks like Friendly's is closing | Innovation Trail (includes some other business news)

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Core Tech awarded $419,000 in tax incentives for expansion in Saratoga County(snippet): https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/n..._news_headline
Company info: https://www.coretechindustrial.com/

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ITALY-BASED COMPANY CAPTURES $1M GRAND PRIZE IN THIRD YEAR OF GENIUS NY BUSINESS CONTEST

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Sentient Blue Technologies, a company headquartered in Italy, was named the grand-prize winner of $1 million in the third year of the Genius NY business-accelerator program at the Tech Garden in Syracuse.

Genius NY stands for Growing ENtrepreneurs & Innovators in UpState New York.

Sentient Blue develops “efficient, more environmentally friendly” micro gas turbine based power plants for use in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to increase flight endurance, CenterState CEO said in a news release.

“We’ll need to basically be filing for some intellectual property protection in the form of patents. We’re going to be hiring more personnel right here in Syracuse and Rome. These are going to be engineering jobs and skilled-manufacturing jobs,” says Saif-Deen Akanni, founder, CEO, and chief technical officer of Sentient Blue Technologies.

Judges selected Sentient Blue Technologies as the grand-prize winner of $1 million in the third edition of the Genius NY business-accelerator program at the Tech Garden. The company captured the top prize during the program’s “Finals Night” held Tuesday night at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown.

Besides Sentient Blue, four competing Genius NY companies each won $500,000.

The program, supported by Empire State Development Corporation, invested more than $3 million in the companies, “making it the largest business accelerator competition for the UAS industry in the world.”

UAS is short for unmanned-aircraft system. A UAS includes a drone and equipment used to control its flight. A drone is also referred to in the industry as an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV.

$500K winners

The companies that were awarded $500,000 investments included ResilienX of Syracuse, a firm that is developing software to increase the resilience and reduce the maintenance costs of UTM systems.

This software will monitor the health and integrity of a system and will facilitate fault recovery if a problem is encountered.

EagleHawk of Buffalo provides a preventive-maintenance platform for commercial buildings with flat roofs. EagleHawk leverages drones equipped with infrared sensors to detect roof leaks “that are not evident to the naked eye,” CenterState CEO said.

Vermeer of Brooklyn is an augmented-reality drone product that “enables anyone” to capture aerial photos, videos, and data. A user can now design their aerial shot in an augmented-reality environment and then send it to a drone to execute autonomously in the real world.

Additionally, CivDrone of Israel develops “fast, reliable and autonomous marking solutions” on enterprise drones for the construction industry. Digitalizing and automating land-surveying services will increase productivity and shorten time of construction while lowering its costs.

Source: https://www.cnybj.com/italy-based-fi...iness-contest/


Also...

NEW YORK STATE, CNY HOME SALES DECLINE IN FEBRUARY: https://www.cnybj.com/new-york-state...e-in-february/



GlobalFoundries building new path for training workers

GlobalFoundries could hire up 40 or more candidates for its technician training program in Malta over the next few weeks.

The computer chip manufacturer is on a mission to expand its pipeline of mechanically-inclined workers to help clean, operate and repair equipment at its $15 billion factory in Saratoga County. GlobalFoundries has a goal of hiring 100 entry-level technicians this year.

"We are hiring to meet operational needs so that we are not always reactionary," said Jordan Steller, senior director of human resources for the Malta plant.

The company recently created a technician training program that offers starting wages of $15 to $16 an hour plus medical and retirement benefits for entry-level technicians. Candidates do not require a college education and spend two years doing on-the-job and in-class training before being promoted to a level-two technician, which carries a higher pay scale.

GlobalFoundries identified its first 40 to 50 candidates after hosting a job fair last weekend at the Hyatt Hotel in Malta. The company still is searching for candidates online at gfcareersmalta.com.

GlobalFoundries currently has about 250 open positions in Malta. About half of those openings are for technicians. The remainder include engineering, finance, facilities maintenance, logistics and other business support roles.

The company employs about 3,000 people in Malta.
Source: https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/n..._news_headline


Plug Power's newest customer is family-owned food distributor covering 12 states

Plug Power will start selling its hydrogen fuel cells to Lipari Foods, a Michigan-based food distributor, to help the company power its forklifts and other material handing equipment.

The family business based in Warren, Michigan, is a new customer for Plug. The food distributor covers 12 states and more than 8,000 customers.

As Lipari's business has grown, the company had to load pallet jacks on twelve 53-foot trailers and ship them to another warehouse for charging every day, according to a release from Plug Power. With Plug Power's products, Lipari Foods can get rid of that unnecessary step and cost.

Lipari started piloting Plug's hydrogen fuel cells last year. Plug Power's hydrogen fueling station and fuel cell units will be installed in the second quarter of 2019.

Plug Power's (Nasdaq: PLUG) primary business is making hydrogen fuel cells that power forklifts in warehouses and distribution centers. The fuel cells are an alternative to lead-acid batteries. The company has shipped more than 25,000 fuel cell units to dozens of customers including Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN), Walmart (NYSE: WMT) and Nike (NYSE: NKE).

But CEO Andy Marsh has been mapping out the future of the company with an eye toward diversification. For example, Plug Power has been outfitting electric FedEx trucks with hydrogen fuel cells for delivering packages to Albany-area residents — one of the first signs that Plug is diversifying beyond its core market.

Plug had the first profitable quarter in its 22-year history on an EBITDA basis (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) at the end of 2018. Revenue for the year was $174.6 million with a net loss of $78.1 million.

The business is continuing to grow. Marsh is projecting revenues between $235 million and $245 million in 2019.

It has become the world’s largest user of liquid hydrogen, with 15 tons used daily, surpassing NASA.

Plug's stock was selling at $2.67 on Wednesday morning.
Source: https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/n..._news_headline

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Related to the GlobalFoundries article above...

SUNY Poly tailors offerings to attract more GlobalFoundries employees as students

SUNY Polytechnic Institute plans to offer specialized course options to GlobalFoundries employees through a new partnership.

GlobalFoundries employees, some of whom work 12-hour or night shifts, will have the option to enroll in classes that better fit their schedules and will have more online courses to choose from.

SUNY Poly sees the program as another way to grow enrollment at its Albany and Utica campuses. There's no limit to the number of employees who can enroll.

"Our plans are to grow enrollment. We do have the capacity," said Shadi Shahedipour-Sandvik, the school's interim vice president of research advancement and graduate studies. "We are not expecting that our enrollment will grow 50 percent because of GlobalFoundries. It would be great if it does, but I think having them will help us grow at all levels."

GlobalFoundries workers will be able to take programs across all of SUNY Poly's colleges, from nano-engineering to business to arts and sciences. SUNY Poly started a new master's program in advanced technology last year that focuses on computer chip processing and nanomanufacturing.

A handful of the chip maker's employees began taking courses at SUNY Poly this past fall semester, said Shahedipour-Sandvik. She expects those numbers to grow for this year's fall semester under the new partnership.

One of the most appealing facets of the partnership for SUNY Poly is the ability to market its programs directly to workers on-site at GlobalFoundries, Shahedipour-Sandvik said. In the future, faculty members may be able to teach some of their courses at the plant in Malta, making it even more convenient for employees.

GlobalFoundries executives see the partnership as a way to help attract and retain talent. The agreement is part of the company's Fab Degree Partnership Program, which includes similar partnerships with Clarkson University, Hudson Valley Community College and other schools.

Shahedipour-Sandvik believes SUNY Poly will be particularly attractive for employees because of the school's existing focus on nanotechnology.

"At other campuses, it may be more theoretical, but at SUNY Poly’s Albany campus, it is not theoretical," Shahedipour-Sandvik said.

GlobalFoundries employees from technicians to engineers are eligible for the program. Continuing education is attractive to prospective new hires and people looking to grow their careers at the plant, said Jordan Steller, human resources director at the GlobalFoundries plant in Malta.

"It gives our employees a more convenient route to advance their skills and grow their skill set and careers," Stellar said.

Under the program, workers will be able to defer billing until GlobalFoundries reimburses their tuition, instead of needing to pay upfront.

About 3,000 people work at the GlobalFoundries computer chip plant in Malta. The company has more than 200 open positions and is filling spots for a technician training program.

Tuition at SUNY Poly is $3,435 per semester for undergraduate in-state full-time students, and $5,545 per semester for in-state full-time graduate students.

Fewer students are enrolled at the Albany campus than in the past — 175 students were enrolled there for the Fall 2018 semester, compared with 320 students in January 2016. More than 2,800 students were enrolled at the Utica campus for fall 2018.

Source: https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/n..._news_headline

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Kodak completes sale of Flexographic Packaging Division | Innovation Trail