INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Farm of the Year!

LIVINGSTONCOUNTYCHAMBER.COM 2nd Edition / February 2015

• Ken Estes: Five Questions with a member

• Innovation in Agriculture

• Farm Bureau Your Agvocate

• Farmer Neighbor Evening

By Laura LanePresident and CEO

Let us help you pay backyour annual chamber mem-bership. It’s quite easy bytaking advantage of some ofyour member only cost sav-ing benefits. For more infor-mation on any of these bene-fits, please visit our websitewww.l iv ingstoncounty-chamber.com or call JaniceKeane, our Member Ser-vices Coordinator at 243-2222. Here is quick snapshot of these benefits:

Constant Contact EmailMarketing

Through the Chamberprogram you can save up to25% on your annual sub-scription to this well known,easy to use email marketingprogram.

Staples Business Advantage

Save time and moneywhen purchasing office supplies though the StaplesBusiness Advantage Pro-gram.

FedEx PartnerShip Program

PartnerShip helps yousave on every inbound andoutbound small or largeshipments.

Payment Processing Consultants Credit Card Program

A cost effective way foryour business to accept cred-it cards. PPC makes it possi-

ble for your business toaccept all non-cash forms ofpayment so you can grow,offer convenience, andreduce accounts receivable.PPC is a Rochester Top 100company, has an A+ BBBrating, is endorsed by over25 partners, and is locallyowned and operated.

Advertising OpportunitiesChamber members have

the opportunity to reachmore customers throughdirect advertising vehiclessuch as The Chamber Factorand discounted rates in theLivingston County BusinessDirectory Visitor Guide.Event sponsorships are alsoa great way to mazimizeyour business exposure.

Natural Gas and Electrici-ty Savings Program

Our partnership withIntregrys helps our memberssave on their electricitycosts. Our partnership with

National Fuel Resourcesalso helps our members planfor their energy costs whileproviding savings.

Discounted Area Attractions

Chamber members andtheir friends and family cansave on admissions toDarien Lake AmusementPark as well as GeneseeCountry Village & Museum.

Darien Lake tickets are$30 for Good Any Day Pass-es that include a $10 parkingvoucher.

Genesee Country Village

& Museum tickets are $12for a one day pass.

Online TrainingThe Chamber offers you

more than 500 interactiveeLearning courses to helpyou provide training todevelop yourself, and yourstaff. Our eLearning coursesare self-paced, easily-acces-sible, and affordable. Eachcourse varies in length from30 minutes to 4 hoursdepending on the subjectmatter and are available foryou to take over an 8-12week period.

2 FEBRUARY 2015 I THE CHAMBER FACTOR

A Message from the President

KEVIN W.

DOUGHERTY FUNERAL HOME INC.

Kevin W. Dougherty Michael P. Dougherty

• Providing Total Quality Funeral Services for All Denominations

• Professional Pre-Need Planning & Monument Service Available

www.doughertyfuneralhomes.com

LIVONIA (585) 346-5401

HONEOYE (585) 229-2444

Advertisers INDEXBarber Hill Health .................................................................4Body and Face by Kristin ....................................................19Briggs Tire & Farm ..............................................................17CASA.....................................................................................9Cole Real Estate ....................................................................7Dansville Mini Storage..........................................................5Details Event Planning ..........................................................6Dougherty Funeral Home......................................................2Edward Jones ......................................................................12ESL Federal Credit Union ....................................................14Estes Country Gardens & Design ........................................15Farm Credit East....................................................................7Genesee Graphics ...............................................................13Geneseo Collision Service ...................................................13Glass Act.............................................................................12Great Clips ..........................................................................18Health and Wellness Referral Services ................................19Livingston Insurance .............................................................6The National Hotel..............................................................19Noyes Health ......................................................................14O’Brien’s Septic...................................................................12Physical Therapy Professionals .............................................3Rector-Hicks Funeral Home...................................................7Sea Cow Grill ......................................................................13Sign Language.....................................................................16Star Pest ..............................................................................19Star Theatre...........................................................................8Steuben Trust Company ........................................................7Summit Family Dental Care ................................................20Superior Clean.......................................................................4Umpire Insurance ................................................................17Warren’s Commercial Cleaning...........................................16

The Livingston County Chamber of Commerce, The LivingstonCounty News and their representatives, employees, andagents are held harmless from any claim, demand, liability, oraction on account of or in any way arising out of the client'sadvertising, products, and services or its participating in © TheChamber Factor 2015.

Photo Credit: The Morgan Family

By Ben BeagleEditor & General Manager Livingston County News

Joe and June Swyers haveoperated Swyers Dairy inOssian for a relatively shorttime, but they’ve made astrong impression on thelocal agricultural communi-ty.

Members of that commu-nity nominated the Swyersas the 2015 Farm of the Year,an award presented by theLivingston County AreaChamber of Commerce andthe Livingston County FarmBureau.

Representatives from theChamber and Farm Bureaumade a surprise visit Jan. 30to the farm with flowers andballoons to announce theSwyers’ selection. They willbe formally honored March27 during the 18th annualLivingston County Farmer-Neighbor Evening.

“It’s a huge honor, and oneI would never expect,” saidJoe Swyers, 40. “We haven’tbeen here that many years.”

The Swyers, who bothcome from farm families,bought their farm Jan. 1,2001, from Bob and PamSchramm, remodeled thebarn — which had not beenused for milking cows sincethe late 1980s — and byApril 2001 were milkingabout 80 cows.

Joe Swyers said he owes“quite a bit” to theSchramms.

“They helped get us start-ed,” he said. “I wanted to domy own thing, wanted to get

out on my own and this pre-sented a good opportunity.Bob really helped out. It wasa lot to take on all at once.”

The farm now has morethan 1,200 cows and 3,000acres that are used by theSwyers to grow their ownfeed. They are building anew 200-cow barn that willbe filled and bring their theirmilking facility to capacity.

The farm has about 20full-time employees. “We’revery much a family farm,”Swyers said. “It’s just a big-ger family.”

The Swyers, who havefour children, have also beenactive in the community.

Each of their children —Emma, Josie, Gus and Eli —have shown animals at theHemlock “Little World’s”Fair and been involved inother 4-H programs. JuneSwyers is on the 4-H Live-stock Committee, helps atthe Hemlock Fair and isinvolved with the LivingstonCounty Dairy Princess pro-gram.

Joe Swyers, who helpedstart a youth wrestling pro-

gram in Dansville, also leadstours of his farm for schooland community groups. Heis on the board of directorsof the Livingston CountyFarm Bureau and on thecommittee for the Bureau’sannual Farm Fest at CoyneFarm, East Avon. He is alsopart of a Cornell Universitydiscussion group of morethan a dozen farms.

The “Farm of the Year”honor is chosen by a Cham-ber committee following anopen nomination process inwhich members of the com-munity are able to suggestfarms to recognize. Theaward criteria includes com-

munity involvement, proac-tive stance, environmentalstewardship, good businesspractices and integrity, andadvocacy for agribusinessand the county.

Laura Lane, president andCEO of the Chamber ofCommerce, said the awardrepresented the family’scommunity involvement asmuch as its agriculturalwork. She noted that thefamily places a strongemphasis on educating thenon-farming communityabout the work that happenson a dairy farm. .

“It really speaks to theircommitment to the commu-

nity,” Lane said. "It's at thecore of what they do; it's notjust about the farm."

About the dinnerThe Livingston County

Farmer-Neighbor Evening isMarch 27 at the GeneseeRiver Restaurant and Recep-tion Center, 134 North MainSt., Mount Morris. Theevent begins at 5 p.m. whena vendor display area will beopen. The dinner follows at7 p.m. A guest speaker is tobe announced. Tickets areavailable through the Cham-ber of Commerce. Call 243-2222 or go to http://liv-ingstoncountychamber.com/

Swyers Dairy Named “Farm of The Year”THE CHAMBER FACTOR I FEBRUARY 2015 3

PHYSICAL THERAPY PROFESSIONALS, P.C.

O FFERING D IRECT A CCESS TO THE AREA ’ S HIGHEST QUALITY AND MOST COMPLETE REHABILITATION SERVICES INCLUDING :

• Orthopaedic and Neurological Physical Therapy • Livingston County’s Only Dedicated In-ground Therapeutic Pool & Spa • McKenzie Certified Spinal Care • Manual & Vestibular Therapies • Balance and Fall Risk Assessments • Medical Exercise Prescription

Established in 1994 Healthy U and Aquatic Rehab Center

3506 Thomas Drive, Lakeville (585) 346-0060

3163 State Street Caledonia

(585) 538-9460

66 Stanley Street Mt. Morris

(585) 658-9280

Healthy U’s... Fitness, Wellness, Sports

Performance & Injury Prevention Program

• Sports Metrics Injury Prevention Testing & Performance

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Yoga • Strength & Conditioning • Cardio, Core & More! • Body Sculpt

Individual & Group Fitness Personal Training Available

www.physicaltherapypros.com IT’S YOUR CARE, IT’S YOUR CHOICE.

Joe Swyers

4 FEBRUARY 2015 I THE CHAMBER FACTOR

with Ken Estes, Jr.Owner

Company: Estes CountryGardens & Design

Year the company wasfounded: 1998

Your tenure with the com-pany: Founder

General description of thecompany: We are a fullservice LandscapeDesign/Build company witha focus on sustainable land-scapes and stewardship withthe mission to make outdoorliving enjoyable. We accom-plish this by establishingclient goals, a thoroughdesign process and crafts-manship. Our clients tend tobe ones that require an artistapproach which can includebusinesses, individuals and

families in the Genesee-Fin-ger Lakes area includingGreater Rochester that wishto embrace outdoor livingwith beautiful sustainablelandscape environments.

What has been the mostbeneficial business strate-gy you’ve employedrecently and its outcome?

We have embraced socialmedia to educate, share andpromote Outdoor Living.

The process of sharinginformation, ideas andresources is not about pro-moting but about inspiringand educating. We use face-book, twitter and google+ toshare useful insight andresources so it’s easier tomake informed choices andfind the answers to a ques-tion. We also created aYouTube channel where youcan hear my personalinsight on common problemsand our solutions. With pin-terest and houzz our clientscan gather ideas and organ-ize them based on needs andwants which assists us in thedesign process. This hasbeen very successful and wepredict it will only grow inpopularity.

What do you see as animportant industry trendthat will impact business inthe next year?

The long standing impactthat landscaping has on thebeautification of a home orbusiness. By the numbers itcan add 14% to the resalevalue and speed its sale asmuch as 6 weeks. Spend 5%of your home’s value on a

quality sustainable land-scape; you could boost theresale value by 15%, earn-ing back 150% or more onyour investment. But real-ly… Landscaping is aboutenjoying nature’s beautyright outside your door andoutdoor living is thriving.Incorporating structuresand amenities that werecommon inside the home arenow outdoors and accompa-nied with landscaping andlighting create day and nightenjoyment. Outdoor Livingis trending!

We often times hear thatwe are coming out of theGreat Recession. Wouldyou agree or disagree andwhy?

Yes I’ve heard suchclaims, but I will leave thatto the economist to talkabout. The Landscape andOutdoor Living Industry ison the rise, even with con-sumer optimism and the dis-cretionary dollar still beingtight. Historically the Lawnand Landscape industry isnot as affected by the econo-my fluctuations in spendingas other industries.

Why is your company aLivingston County Cham-ber of Commerce mem-ber?

I became a member a

number of years ago when Iwanted to support theFarmer-Neighbor Event. Ifyou’re not familiar, it cele-brates farming, farmers, andour counties greatestresource, agriculture with itsneighbors. This event alonegives me an opportunity toexpose my brand “EstesCountry Gardens &Design” to a larger audi-ence and also support some-thing that was near and dearto my heart, farming. Littledid I know, but the chamberwould open the door tomany opportunities and con-tinues to exceed my expecta-tions with opportunities tolearn, network, share myknowledge, have fun, sup-port my neighbors in thecounty and grow my busi-ness. Simply, its good forbusiness…

What is the best piece ofbusiness advice you’vebeen given in your career?

I would have to say, tobelieving that your client’sare more than just a cus-tomer. Meeting and exceed-ing expectations and contin-ue to make them feel they areimportant is far less workthan seek new clients. Thishas a compounding benefitI’ve learned because notonly do we retain clients, wegain new ones by doing so.

February’s

5 Questionswith a Member

Barber Hill Health & Wellness Center. L.L.C.

Maria Benzoni, M.Ed. LMSW (585) 455-6413

Member of

Counseling, Art Classes • Talking Stick Circles Counseling - Family & Individual

Girls Talking Stick Circles Women’s Circles • Drawing & Painting Lessons

Lou Lombardo, M. Ed. L.M.T 734-2200

Massage Therapy

5739 Barber Hill Rd. • Geneseo, NY 14454 www.barberhillwellnessctr.com

6 yrs ExperienceChamber Member

By Courtney WeimarLivingston County News

As Elissa Leuer continuesto get acclimated to her newrole as the Livingston Coun-ty Area Chamber of Com-merce’s director of tourismand marketing, she is mov-ing forward with her priori-ties for the year.

“I am excited to be here,”said Leuer, who worked inthe Genesee County Cham-ber of Commerce’s tourismprogram for the past fouryears. “Livingston County isso beautiful. It’s an easyplace to promote.”

Leuer says she has threepriorities in LivingstonCounty: completing thecounty travel guide, improv-ing the tourism website andincreasing group business.

Leuer is working to get the2015 Livingston CountyTravel Guide printed anddistributed as soon as possi-ble. In future years, she

hopes to make the publica-tion available earlier in theyear and improve distribu-tion.

Along with making thetourism website more func-tional and user-friendly,Leuer hopes to integrate itwith the Chamber’s mainwebsite.

The county will also bene-fit from her technical ability.

With her experience, Leuerwill be able to do some ofher own website and designwork.

Leuer, who started in earlyJanuary, replaced LisaBurns, who has becomedirector of outreach pro-gramming at SUNY Gene-seo.

Thus far, the communityhas been “super welcom-ing,” says Leuer, a WyomingCounty native.

Leuer says she enjoys thepace of the tourism industry.

While she acknowledgedthere is “a little bit of alearning curve,” Leuer canrely on her experience at theGenesee County Chamber ofCommerce for guidance. Atthe Batavia-based GeneseeCounty Chamber, Leuer wastourism sales and marketingmanager and group salescoordinator, working in allaspects of the Chamber’stourism program. She repre-sented local tourism partners

at trade shows and business-to-business marketplaces,golf courses and packageprograms at consumer golfshows, and developed andproduced print and onlinetourism marketing materials.

Genesee and Livingstoncounties are similar in sizeand location. With bothcounties situated near largertourist destinations such asNiagara Falls or the FingerLakes, each county has theability to market off of alarger destination.

One of the most signifi-cant differences between thetwo counties is the structureof their government. Gene-see County has a legislaturewhile Livingston Countyoperates through a Board ofSupervisors.

Genesee County also has alarger tourism budget, due toa greater number of hotels inthe county.

Leuer graduated fromSUNY Geneseo in 2008 and

received her master’s ofbusiness administrationfrom Rochester Institute ofTechnology. Before heremployment with the Gene-see Chamber, she worked atSyntec Optics in Pavilion.

Chamber Has New Tourism DirectorTHE CHAMBER FACTOR I FEBRUARY 2015 5

(P) 585.335.2777 (C) 585.370.0733 (F) 585.335.2778

9384 Main Street Dansville, NY 14437

Over 300 Units of All Sizes

Video Surveillance

Livingston County

ChamberCalendar

2/27 Women’s Net-working Luncheon

3/11 Non Profit - TakingMeeting Minutes

3/18 Business AfterHours @ AllegianceB&B

3/27 Farmer NeighborDinner

5/5 Techy Tuesday -Google Ads & Apps

Save the Date:6/1 Golf Tournament

You’re BUSY. We get that. Take 2 hours for lunch and make it really work for you!

This business woman's networking exchange is a powerful and effective opportunity for you to get the word out about your

business. Connect directly with other businesswomen interested in what you have to offer or know someone who is.

Friday, February 27th Noon – 2:00 P.M.

Scoville’s Restaurant, Dansville Members - $22 General Admission - $35

Call (585) 243-2222 to register or online at www.livingstoncountychamber.com

Come prepared with your 2-4 minute business pitch. Bring business cards along with promotional and marketing materials to distribute at this structured networking event.

Elissa Leuer

By Jan S. Rogers CPCU, AU

What is a Businessownerspolicy (BOP)?

A Businessowners Policy(BOP) is a comprehensivepackage of coverages specif-ically designed to provideproperty and liability insur-ance needed by most smallto mid-sized businesses.Those businesses that do notqualify for a BOP shouldconsider a CommercialPackage Policy (CPP) tomeet their specific needs.Regardless of your compa-ny’s size, policies can becustomized to meet a com-pany’s unique exposures.

Primary coverages includ-ed in a BOP are:

1) Property - Buildingsand or Contents owned bythe business.

2) Business Interruption -Loss of Income and ExtraExpenses caused by a cov-

ered loss. 3) Liability - Bodily

Injury, Property Damage,Product, Personal andAdvertising Injury.

Some optional coveragesavailable: Employee Dis-honesty, Ordinance or Law,Water/Sewer Backup,Equipment Breakdown,Inland Marine, EmploymentPractices Liability Insur-ance, etc. BOP’s typically donot include: ProfessionalLiability, Auto, NYS Dis-ability, Health insuranceand/or Workers Compensa-tion. These policies must bepurchased separately.

Does my business have theright coverage?

Whether a business rentsspace or owns the building,it will have office furnish-ings, equipment, computers,inventory and/or other itemswhich are vital to the busi-ness. property coverage will

protect you in the event yourbusiness suffers a coveredloss.

Unfortunately, since welive in a very litigious socie-ty, businesses of any type(Sole Proprietor, LLC,Corp.) can be involved in lit-igation. Liability Insuranceprotects your business in theevent you or an employeecause Bodily Injury, Proper-ty Damage, Personal Injuryor Advertising Injury.

Many small business own-ers may utilize their person-al vehicle in the normalcourse of business, lettingemployees drive, deliveringproducts, transportinggoods, etc. A Personal Autopolicy is not designed tocover these types of expo-sures. Furthermore, if thevehicle is owned personally,the vehicle owner can beexposed to a liability suit ifan accident were to occur. Inaddition to cost, there aremany coverage considera-

tions for the business ownerto discuss with his/her localIndependent Insurance Pro-fessional, resulting in theproper protection at a com-petitive premium.

New York State requiresany business with at leastone employee to purchaseWorkers Compensation andNYS Disability coverage.Workers Compensation pro-vides statutory coverage for“on the job” injury or sick-ness, while NYS Disabilityprovides statutory employeeloss of income coverage for“off the job” injury or sick-ness.

Are my limits of insuranceadequate?

When deciding on insur-ance for a business, yourlocal Independent InsuranceAgent is the most qualifiedprofessional to discuss theexposures, coverages avail-able, costs, etc. For a vastmajority of businesses,insuring the Building (ifowned) and Business Per-sonal Property (Contents) ona Replacement Cost basis isthe best option. This willreplace the most damageditems with a like kind and

quality at today’s prices, upto the limit of coverage.While a contents inventoryis not required, it is extreme-ly advantageous in the eventof a claim. The inventoryshould include a descriptionof each item, along withmake, model and serialnumber, if applicable. Themore contents identificationyou have, the smoother andmore expedient your claimsettle ment will be.

How do I reduce my pre-miums without sacrificingcourage?

Working with a local inde-pendent Agent is the bestplace to begin. They haveaccess to multiple compa-nies, can seek out the broad-est coverage at the mostcompetitive premium, placeyour insurance with a finan-cially stable insurer, allwhile looking out for yourbest interests. Increasingyour deductible, installingan alarm system, “packag-ing” your policies, utilizingloss control strategies,implementing work placesafety measures, defensivedriver course, etc. can allhelp reduce your premiums.

6 FEBRUARY 2015 I THE CHAMBER FACTOR

“Our Service Sets Us Apart” Make Livingston Insurance Agency, Inc. your No. 1 choice for all your insurance needs from Auto, Home, Umbrella, Renters, Businessowners, Farmowners, Commercial Package, Professional Liability, Life, Disability, Worker’s Comp, Motorcycles, Snowmobile, Boat, etc.

Follow us on and LIVINGSTON INSURANCE AGENCY, INC. 4638 Genesee Street Geneseo, NY 14454

Tel: (585)243-0260 www.livingstoninsurance.com Fax: (585)243-1953

Peggy Montemarano, Tara Hapke, Jessica Silvernail, Kelly Palmer, Jennifer Rogers, Jan Rogers, CPCU, AU

Let us help you with your next important event. Our success is

attributed to our attention to details. We will make your event enjoyable for you

and memorable for your guests.

32 Westview Crescent, Geneseo, New York 14454

Insuring Your Small Business

By Pat Cole, OwnerAB Cole Real Estate

This is an exciting time forthe real estate market in Liv-ingston County. The realestate market remains steadyin all facets including, resi-dential, commercial andland. Livingston County is awonderful community inwhich to live and work andto also own a home or busi-ness.

Selling A PropertySelling your property

should not be a stressfulordeal. Making the smartmove of choosing a realtor is

your first step to ensuringthat your investment in yourproperty pays off.

Buying A PropertyBuying a property is an

exciting time in one’s life.Choosing a realtor is impor-tant to ensure that your newproperty and communitymeets your needs.

An overview of marketreports for Livingston Coun-ty in the last 12 months indi-cates that the number ofproperties for sale is down2.1%, new listings are up4.8%, closed sales are up31.1%, median sales price isdown 9.6% and that the vol-

ume of closed sales is up10.4%.

SellersWhen a seller is ready to

sell their property theyshould contact a real estateprofessional of their choice.That real estate agent willresearch the comparablesales and suggest a price tolist their property. The realestate professional will alsosuggest the best way to“stage” the property topotential buyers to viewthereby obtaining a quicksale at a maximum saleprice.

"Buyers"With interest rates remain-

ing at a record low level, itcontinues to be a great timefor qualified buyers to maketheir purchases. There are avariety of loans for prospec-tive buyers to choose from.More recently, FHA loans(government backed) have

lowered their mortgageinsurance premiums allow-ing more funds available forbuyers to make their pur-chase.

There are numerous realestate websites for both sell-ers / buyers to search on the

Internet. As a real estate bro-ker and agent, it is suggestedthat a prospectiveseller/buyer choose a realestate professional of theirchoice to best meet theirspecific real estate needs.

THE CHAMBER FACTOR I FEBRUARY 2015 7

Real Estate Trends

Geneseo •138 Court Street • Court Street Complex • 243-2643 E-mail: abcole@rochester.rr.com website: abcolerealestate.com

Luane DeBell Myrna Jacox

Diana O’Grady

Jackie Brown Bill Wallace Mark Scoville

Kristen Scoville Brian Hill Kelly Herman

Alan S. Cole

John Rolison Maureen Orban

Lisa Wybron

Pattie Cavanaugh Kim Mattice

Gary Bovee

Darcy Dewar Lynch

Pat & Al Cole

Serving Livingston County for 28 Years!Call the Professionals

for all of your Real Estate Needs! Blaine Jacox

Traditional Services Cremation Services Pre-Arrangements

Medicaid Counseling 111 Main Street • Geneseo

Frank T. Hicks • F. Scott Hicks • Derek S. Hicks

Tel: 585-243-0995 rector-hicksfuneralhome.com

RECTOR-HICKS FUNERAL HOME, INC

“Superior service, friendly faces, switching made easy... you’re going to love Steuben Trust!”

Michael Johel NMLS No. 66174

Office 800.929.1350Cell 716.863.4233Michael.Johel@FarmCreditEast.comwww.CountryLivingLoans.com

Loans for Rural Propertiesor Extra Acreage

By Jennifer ShoemakerUnderberg & Kessler LLP

It is easy to overlookemployee morale whendetermining what makes asuccessful business. Unhap-py employees are a seriousconcern for companies.Low morale causes lowerproductivity, poor customerservice and high turnover.Low morale also leads toexcessive absenteeism andless time in the office pro-ductively working.

Many company leadersfeel that because they can’tpay their employees as muchas the next company, theywill be unable to retain theiremployees or will be unableto keep their employees sat-isfied. The good news is thatthey couldn’t be morewrong! Your business maynot be able to pay the high-est salaries, but a littlerecognition goes a long way.In fact, employees who feelvalued are much less likelyto leave their employer, evenfor a higher paying job.

There are many ways toincrease employee morale,and many don’t cost thecompany a dime. First and

foremost, communicationwith employees is key. Havean open door policy andkeep employees informed.When employees are notkept informed about what isgoing on, they tend to gossipand make up stories to fill inthe blanks. Even if youdon’t have good news toshare, honesty is still thebest policy. The more youremployees are able to trustwhat you say, the less likelythey will be to engage inharmful gossip. In addition,listen and be available. Allemployees in an organiza-tion should be approachable,from the CEO on down theline. Be available andengage your employees on apersonal level. You may notbe able to resolve all of theissues, but if employees feelthey have been treatedrespectfully, they are lesslikely to become disgrun-tled.

In addition, recognize thegood – don’t just highlightthe bad. When an employeeperforms well, make sureyou recognize it. That does-n’t mean you have to givethem a bonus. To the con-trary, employee satisfaction

increases significantly whenemployees are acknowl-edged internally for theirefforts. Send an email to theteam congratulating theemployee for hard work.Put a note on the bulletinboard or in the companynewsletter. That recognitionin turn inspires them to con-tinue to do good work andencourages others to do thesame so that they can be rec-ognized.

In addition, give employ-ees a feeling of ownership.Not ownership of the com-pany – ownership of theirjob. Ask them for ideas onhow to improve their depart-ments. Act on their sugges-tions. If you notice thatthings need to improve, askthem how they would do it.Not only will you benefitfrom their suggestions, butmaking them feel heard willboost morale. However, donot ask for suggestions andignore them after they arereceived. This is a commontrap employers fall into andit can easily backfire.Instead of ignoring theirsuggestions, allow employ-ees the opportunity to imple-ment some of their ideas.

Finally, give employeessome perks. Allow them towork from home if possible,

or give them a gift card to arestaurant after they havedemonstrated successfulperformance. These thingsdo not cost a company muchfinancially but can bringmany rewards and help keepa company successful.

Jennifer A. Shoemaker is apartner in Underberg &Kessler LLP’s Litigation andLabor & Employment prac-tice groups. She concen-trates her practice in theareas of employment andfamily law.

8 FEBRUARY 2015 I THE CHAMBER FACTOR

Ad-StuffCaffé TazzaCreative Touch Design &PhotographyDansville CollisionDogwood Floral CompanyEFP Rotenberg, LLPFarm Credit East, ACAFrederick and Rosemary YatesFree Spirit Leather ShopGreat ClipsJoanna Walters DesignLa Melaza BoricuaNew York State Tourism Industry Association

Oracle/MicrosPat TobinPerry VetQB Daylily GardensReminisce Soda FountainSanabria Agency, AllstateSam’s ClubService MasterSeth Graham DesignTomaso’s TrattoriaTommy B’s DJ/Photo Booth ServiceUmpire AgencyVillage Bridal & Formal WearVillage Cafe & Catering

Welcome: New Members

Movie Info 585-335-6950 • startheatredansville.com Movie Info 585-335-6950 • startheatredansville.com Movie Info 585-335-6950 • startheatredansville.com 144 Main Street, Dansville 144 Main Street, Dansville 144 Main Street, Dansville

Where You See And Hear One Movie At A Time, In Historic Beauty!

• Experience A Featured Show Nightly At 7, Saturday & Sunday At 3, & Wednesday At 1

• Special Showings • Birthdays • We Can Host A Party For You And Play All

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Happy Employees = Successful Business

Don't miss your chance to advertise in the Official 2015 LivingstonCounty Visitor Guide! 100,000 copies of this full size 8 1/2" X 11"guide will be distributed to:

Letchworth State Park & Stony Brook State ParkYankee Doodle Distribution Service (over 600 locations throughout NYS)Select NYS Thruway Service Areas24 Consumer & Trade Shows throughout NY, NJ, PA, OntarioNYS FairRochester Airport Welcome CenterSUNY GeneseoTourism Partner Businesses in Livingston CountyIndividual Website & Phone Requests...and many more locations, including a digital page-turn online version!!

Production Schedule:• Guide Production: February – March• Guide Printed & Delivered: March 17th

*New for 2015: Reserve both your 2015 & 2016 ad space for 10% savings.

Please contact Elissa Leuer at Elissa@LivingstonCountyChamber.com or

585-243-2222 with any questions or to reserve your space.

2015 Livingston

County Visitor Guide Advertising Opportunity

by Complete Payroll Processing & HRPro

1) Introduces Employeesto the Organization’s Cul-ture, Mission, and Values

Perhaps the most impor-tant aspect of your Employ-ee Handbook is the introduc-tion of new employees toyour corporate culture andhow they will fit in. Thishelps to foster a sense ofpride and belonging, whichstudies show will helpemployees become moreproductive in a shorter peri-od of time. The introductionsection of an EmployeeHandbook will answer thesequestions: “What do we dothat sets us apart?” “Howdid the company get here?”“What are we passionateabout?” “How can I, as anew hire, become a part ofthis culture?” The introduc-tion section sets the standardfor the employment relation-ship in general, and providesa guidepost for the remain-ing policies communicatedin the handbook.

2) Communicates toEmployees What isExpected of Them

A well-written handbookprovides employees with aclear understanding of theirresponsibilities. The hand-book also serves as a com-pass for the organization’spolicies and procedures. Forexample, it advises employ-ees what the procedures arefor requesting time off or avacation. It advises employ-ees whom they should con-tact when they have anunscheduled absence (andwhat the timing should be).It tells employees whom togo to if they have questionsabout any of the specificpolicies in the handbook.The handbook also commu-nicates an employee’s gener-al responsibilities regardingsafety, timekeeping, report-ing, and so on. By providingthis clear, accessible infor-mation, handbooks ensurecompanies continue moving

in the right direction.

3) Educates EmployeesAbout What They CanExpect From Manage-ment and Leadership

An employee handbookclarifies company objectivesand leadership styles, aswell as management bestpractices, to foster healthymanagement-employee rela-tionships. It also outlineslogistics, such as timekeep-ing requirements, hours ofwork, pay periods, and soon. Further, a completeemployee handbook advisesemployees of their variousentitlements to federal andstate leaves, such as FMLAor Jury Service Leave. Theseclearly communicated poli-cies help to eliminate confu-sion and inconsistencies thatresult when handbooks aresilent on these topics.

4) Helps Ensure KeyCompany Policies areClearly and ConsistentlyCommunicated

No policy is effective if itis practiced inconsistently. Ahandbook will accuratelycommunicate your organiza-tion’s policies regardingemployment, conduct andbehavior, compensation, andother policies and proce-dures your organization fol-lows. Most importantly,managers can refer to thehandbook when answeringquestions or making deci-sions regarding your poli-cies, and ensure theiranswers and actions are con-sistent with your policiesand best practices.

5) Showcases the Benefitsthe Organization Offers

Does your organizationoffer vacations, 401k, healthinsurance, paid parentalleave, or other benefits toemployees? Make sure theyknow about these policiesand the eligibility require-ments by communicatingthem in the handbook. Arobust benefits package canhelp you retain your best and

brightest employees, so besure they know about yourfull suite of offerings bycommunicating these in thehandbook.

6) Ensures Compliancewith Federal and StateLaws

No matter what state youdo business in, or how manyemployees you have, youwill be subject to state andfederal employment laws.Your handbook not onlycommunicates these variousentitlements and obligationsto employees, but is usefulin demonstrating that yourorganization strives to becompliant with these regula-tions. For example, if youremployee is called away toactive-duty military service,you will want to be sure theyunderstand their rights andobligations when communi-cating their need for leave toyou. Your Military LeavePolicy should clearly definethese parameters to theemployee. Similar policiesshould communicate rightsand obligations regardingstate disability leaves, feder-al FMLA leave, and othergovernment mandates.

7) Helps Defend AgainstEmployee Claims

Unfortunately, employersshould consider it a matterwhen, and not if, they willface a lawsuit or similarchallenge from a current orformer employee. When thishappens, one of the mostuseful documents you canprovide your attorney orthird party investigator willbe a copy of your handbook.A thorough and compliantemployee handbook willhelp to show that the organi-zation exercised “reasonablecare” towards its employees.The employee’s signedacknowledgement page willshow that the employee hadan opportunity to familiarizethemselves with the organi-zation’s policies, a chanceto ask related questions,knew whom they could turn

to for help within the organ-ization, and agreed to followthe terms and conditions ofemployment set forth by theorganization.

8) Lets Employees KnowWhere to Turn for Help

Ultimately, you wantemployees to feel comfort-able turning to a trustedmember of management forhelp when they want toreport workplace violations,get workplace-related assis-tance, and get answers toany other questions theymay have. The alternative isfor them to turn to an outsidethird party, like the EEOC orDOL, which could trigger a

costly and time-consuminginvestigation. When a hand-book not only outlines oneor two management individ-uals for an employee to turnto in these situations, butalso designates another indi-vidual to turn to in the eventthe employee disagrees withthe first decision, they aremore likely to keep theircomplaints in-house, andthis is a good thing foremployers an alarm system,“packaging” your policies,utilizing loss control strate-gies, implementing workplace safety measures,defensive driver course, etc.can all help reduce your pre-miums.

8 Reasons to Have an Employee HandbookTHE CHAMBER FACTOR I FEBRUARY 2015 9

Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse

of Livingston County, Inc.

Providing Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention

Services since 1975

4612 Millennium Drive Geneseo, NY 14454

Phone: (585) 991-5012 Fax: (585) 991-5013

141 Main Street Dansville, NY 144437 Phone: (585) 335-5052

Fax: (585) 335-5061

Holiday After Hours Dec 4th

10 FEBRUARY 2015 I THE CHAMBER FACTOR

By Ben BeagleEditor & General Manager Livingston County News

Jody Wolfanger’s Avon-based Evening Star CoffeeRoasters was growing fasterthan his production couldkeep up with. He knew heneeded more space, but thecost of building a new facili-ty was more than the bur-geoning company was com-fortable risking.

To find a large enoughlocation, Wolfanger thoughthe would have to rent spacein Rochester or Le Roy. Hemet with Julie Marshall,director of Livingston Coun-ty Development, the coun-ty’s economic developmentarm, and explained hisdilemma.

“I swear Julie Marshall’shair stood straight up theminute I brought up going toRochester. She really want-ed to keep us here,” saidWolfanger, a LivingstonCounty native. “She reallyencouraged us to keep thebusiness in LivingstonCounty. We are the onlylocal roaster, and there’s alot of pride in that.”

Livingston County Devel-opment helped secure a$75,000 grant, awarded inDecember 2014 through thestate Regional EconomicDevelopment Council, thatwill allow Evening Star Cof-fee to relocate to a largerfacility in Avon’s CrossroadsCommerce Park. Wolfangerwill be able to consolidateequipment in a single loca-tion – the roasting equip-ment remains in storageuntil needed – and add staffto help ramp-up sales.

Without the grant, Wol-fanger said, the companywould not be able to contin-ue its rapid growth.

“I think eventually wewould have consideredexpansion, but the timingwould be three or four yearsfrom now,” Wolfanger said.“The grant eliminates a lotof the burden and gets us

rolling. We’ll have a largerlocation and be able to focuson growing the business.”

Wolfanger cautioned thathis project is still in its earlystages with approvals need-ed from the town and state,and design work to be done.Staff at Livingston CountyDevelopment is continuingto assist and guide himthrough the project.

“I give (Livingston Coun-ty Development) an A+.They’re a great group ofpeople that really caresabout Livingston County,”he said.

One stop shoppingLivingston County Devel-

opment works with start-up,expanding and relocatingbusinesses to create or retainemployment and help gener-ate tax revenue. The agencydoes this through its threecore entities: the LivingstonCounty Industrial Develop-ment Agency, which in 2006landed a Barilla pasta plantin Avon; Livingston CountyDevelopment Corporation,which administers New YorkMain Street grants and train-ing programs; and the Liv-ingston County CapitalResource Corporation,which is able to issue bondsfor certain economic devel-opment projects.

“We want to be a one stopshop for businesses,” Mar-

shall said. “On any givenday we wear one of the threehats, sometimes more thanone.”

A rebranding effort com-pleted in 2014 brought thethree development entitiesunder the single banner ofLivingston County Develop-ment, and also saw therelaunch of a demographic-rich website. The website isoften the first resource usedby potential developers –even before contacting theDevelopment office.

“It’s never the same daytwice,” Marshall said.“We’re just a phone callaway from the next businessexpansion, the next lead.”

Seeking competitiveadvantages

Projects such as the $88million Barilla plant – onlythe Italian pastamaker’s sec-ond manufacturing plant inthe United States -- is thekind highly sought by eco-nomic development agen-cies. The plant, whichopened in 2008, employsmore than 110 people, andwas the biggest manufactur-ing investment the countyhad seen in decades.

“To think you’re going toland a Barilla every time outis not very reasonable,though we love to try,” saidMarshall, who noted Liv-ingston County Develop-ment was also in the runningfor a yogurt plant that even-tually selected Batavia innearby Genesee County.

Barilla America Inc., theU.S. division of BarillaGroup, wanted a location inthe Northeast. The companywas drawn to LivingstonCounty by the rolling hills ofthe Genesee Valley, whichwere reminiscent of Italy.During a 2006 news confer-ence announcing plans tobuild in Avon, company offi-cials also cited benefits suchas access to a railroad, anearby interstate highway, askilled work force, and alarge enough lot to accom-

modate the factory's unusualshape.

“With the number of proj-ects out there competing andthe number of agencies, it’sa challenge,” said Marshall.“Everyone wants to havegood jobs, quality of life andbusiness development. Byand large, people want to seegrowth.”

In Livingston County,Marshall said she sees a botha stable economy and a sta-ble population.

“What I like about Liv-ingston County is that thereare a lot of small to mediumbusinesses, the 50 to 100employees per operation.It’s very diverse. So, ifunfortunately, if one compa-ny takes a hit, it’s a lot easi-er to absorb 50 jobs thenthousands,” Marshall said.

Boosting businessThe Development Office

has many tools to aid busi-nesses. These include a

Helping Businesses Big and Small

Livingston County Development is the economicdevelopment arm for Livingston County. Staff workswith start-up, expanding and relocating businesses.

Within Livingston County Development are the coreentities of Livingston County Industrial DevelopmentAgency, Livingston County Development Corporation,and Livingston County Capital Resource Corporation.Each division has its own distinctions and capabilities.

Livingston County Industrial Development AgencyThe LCIDA is a public benefit corporation created in

1973. The mission of the LCIDA is to create and retainemployment opportunities for county residents and gen-erate tax revenues to support government services. Thismission is accomplished through the financing, develop-ment, sponsorship, acquisition, construction, and equip-ping of economic development projects. These projectsoften include industrial and manufacturing projects forboth existing and new or relocating companies.

Livingston County Development CorporationThe LCDC was incorporated in 1987. The purposes of

the LCDC are to relieve and reduce unemployment, topromote and provide additional employment, to maintainand better job opportunities, and to instruct and trainindividuals to improve or develop their job capabilities.The corporation also carries on research for the purposeof attracting business and industry to the area, or byencouraging the development of or retention of existingbusinesses.

Livingston County Capital Resource CorporationThe LCCRC was created in 2010. The mission of the

LCCRC is to create and retain employment opportunitiesfor the county residents and generate tax revenues to sup-port government services. This Corporation is able toissue tax exempt and taxable civic facility revenue bondsfor certain economic development projects.

An Overview:

Livingston CountyDevelopment

Jody Wolfanger

THE CHAMBER FACTOR I FEBRUARY 2015 11

revolving loan fund for newor expanding microenter-prises -- businesses havingfive or fewer employees, oneor more of whom own theenterprise; tax exemptionsfor businesses that make sig-nificant capital investmentsand create or retain jobswithin the county; and theability to issue several typesof bonds.

“People may think it’s allabout the Barillas, but weare for more effective tolocal businesses.”

A sign and façadeimprovement program, forexample, allows propertyowners to apply for up to$5,000 in matching funds torenovate downtown build-ings. This year, applicationsare being accepted on arolling basis through Sep-tember.

“Economic developmentdoesn’t happen one time ayear on a competitive basis,”Marshall said. “We need tobe more business friendly,and this change is one exam-ple.”

With physical improve-ments, businesses can seesales increases, spur otherarea owners to makeimprovements, attract newbusinesses and new shop-pers and inspire participantsto expand their business,according to a study by theNational Trust for HistoricPreservation.

New York Main StreetGrants this year will be usedin Mount Morris and Dans-ville. Technical assistance isbeing provided to Caledoniaand Livonia in preparationfor a Main Street grantapplication next year.

“Downtown is the frontdoor to the community,”Marshall said. “If it’s not ahealthy, vibrant downtown,why would businesses locatethere?”

To encourage vibrancy,Livingston County Develop-ment works with the Liv-ingston County Area Cham-ber of Commerce on localcampaigns such as “ShopLocal” and, returning inMarch, “Dine in Liv-ingston.” In addition toincreasing awareness of

existing local businesses,these campaigns also seek tocreate additional sales taxrevenue, which can helplocal budgets.

This month, the Develop-ment Corporation beganoffering the monthly “Desti-nation University” series.The free programs will edu-cate business owners andemployees on such topics asadvertising and marketing,business appearance, cus-tomer service, employeeperformance and social net-working. The goal is to helpmake local businesses a des-tination that customers willdrive more than a few milesfor.

Later this year the countyexpects to have availableseveral hundreds of thou-sands of dollars through anew state initiative, “Grow-ing the Agriculture IndustryNow!,” a loan fund createdby the Finger Lakes Region-al Economic DevelopmentCouncil as part of Gov.Andrew M. Cuomo’s 2014REDC grant awards. Theprimary goal of the programis to provide low-interestloans to working farms.Agriculture-related manu-facturing companies such asfood processors would alsobe eligible.

Within Livingston County,a loan found for small busi-ness can also be used foragricultural projects and, ifnot, “Give us a call. If wedon’t have resources here,we probably know someother way to connect busi-nesses,” Marshall said.

A record number of appli-cations and incentives – nine-- were accepted by the IDAin 2014. Some of those proj-ects had been in develop-ment for two years, withconstruction expected tobegin in 2015.

“It takes time,” Marshallsaid. “Economic develop-ment doesn’t happenovernight. It’s a marathon,not a sprint. The seeds weplant now will pay dividendslater.”

Taking a long viewMarshall’s predecessor,

Patrick Rountree, first met

with Wolfanger during thecoffee company’s infancy.The 2012 meeting was partof the agency’s routine visitsto local businesses in whichagency staff asks about thebusiness’s needs and futureplans.

Evening Star creates about30 different coffee blendsand supplies coffee brewersand grinders to many restau-rants, cafes and hotels acrossthe region. In LivingstonCounty, Evening Star isfound at Ember WoodfireGrill, Livonia; North ShoreGrill, Lakeville; and Pepper-mints, Avon.

Wolfanger and LivingstonCounty Development main-tained contact, and last yearagain met to talk about hiscompany, this time withMarshall, who took overwhen Rountree retired.

“She brought up someideas like, where do youwant to be in 5 or 6 years,”Wolfanger said.” I wasthinking where I wanted tobe tomorrow or next year. Istarted looking at the busi-ness and, ‘Oh, my gosh, wewere in dire need of space.’ ”

The restoration of the Riv-iera Theater, 4 Center St.,Geneseo, is another projectthat has benefitted from thedevelopers’ longer term con-tact with Livingston CountyDevelopment.

The theater is scheduled toreopen Feb. 21 as a newcommunity arts center thatretains the charms of the his-toric theater. LivingstonCounty Development helpeddevelopers Don Livingstonand Jim Sullivan of PalaceProperties of Geneseo

secure a $150,000 grant in2013 through the RegionalEconomic DevelopmentCouncil Awards. The fund-ing allowed the project to becompleted several months toa year ahead of schedule.

“It was a really goodboost” for the project, saidLivingston. “The big thing itreally helped was our time-line to get things rolling.Otherwise it would havedragged out several moreyears.”

Livingston had previouslymet with Livingston CountyDevelopment about a façadegrant for another project thatnever developed. For theRiviera, he returned to Liv-

ingston County Develop-ment and worked withLouise Wadsworth, theDowntown Developmentcoordinator.

“Louise was a real drivingforce,” Livingston said. “Shehelped us immensely. Herhelp really guided usthrough a process that can bequite complicated.”

Livingston is already talk-ing with Livingston CountyDevelopment about his nextproject.

“They make the processvery workable,” he said.“They know what you need,what they’re looking for. Itwould be very hard to do onour own.”

Livingston County Development Staff

12 FEBRUARY 2015 I THE CHAMBER FACTOR

By Debbie ZarzyckiCPA, EFP Rotenberg

The Internal Revenue Ser-vice (IRS) has released theAffordable Care Act (ACA)health insurance reportingforms. The forms are issuedby the Marketplace/

Exchange (Form 1095-A),insurance companies (Form1095-B) and employers(Form 1095-C) to identifyminimum essential cover-age. Individual taxpayersshould be providing theseforms as part of their 1040source documents to their

tax preparers. Employerswill be required to file theseforms annually to evidencecompliance with the newhealth reform mandates.Only Form 1095-A, issuedby the Marketplace, isrequired for 2014 reporting.Both Forms 1095-B and1095-C are optional thisyear and will be required tobe filed next year.

The employer health cov-erage mandate rules apply tolarge employers, which arethose that have an average of50 or more full-time andfull-time equivalent (FTE)employees during the pre-ceding calendar year. Full-time employees are thosewho work an average of 30+hours per week. FTE’s arealso calculated by convert-ing two or more part-timeemployees to full-time sta-tus. Additionally, controlledgroup and affiliated servicegroup rules must be consid-ered to determine if multipleemployers should begrouped together and treatedas a single employer. Thereare currently discussions inCongress to revise theserequirements even further,

changing the 50 personthreshold to 100 FTE’s andrevising the definition offull-time to less than 30hours/week. Stay tuned.

The purpose of these newforms is to identify employ-ees who are enrolled inemployer provided Mini-mum Essential Coverage(MEC). The IRS will use theinformation to determine ifan employee qualifies for atax credit on health insur-ance bought through theexchange. It may also deter-mine if a penalty will beimposed on an employer thatdoes not offer qualifyingaffordable health insurancecoverage to all of its full-time employees.

Employers will prepare aForm 1095-C for eachemployee and will file allannually with transmittalForm 1094-C. This formwill establish whether theemployer coverage is afford-able, meets participationrequirements, and if MEC isoffered. Form 1094-C dis-closes information aboutemployers and their affiliat-ed groups and will identifythe total number of Form

1095-C’s to be filed. Again,this is optional reporting forthe current year.

The new reportingrequirements establishemployer ACA complianceand employee affordabilityfor individual compliance.Employer penalties areincurred if an employee doesnot have qualifying afford-able health insurance andthen purchases coverage onthe exchange and qualifiesfor a premium tax credit.The penalty is $3,000 peroccurrence. If it is deter-mined that an employer plandoes not meet the ACArequirements, there is a$2,000 per eligible(30–hour) employee penalty,minus transitional and ongo-ing exemptions.

The other new forms youwill see this year on individ-ual tax returns are Forms8962 and 8965. Form 8962will only be filed by thoseindividuals that purchasedtheir health insurancethrough the Marketplace.This form will determine ifthe individual is eligible fora premium tax credit, or, ifthey estimated the credit atthe time they applied forinsurance and applied thatcredit to offset their premi-ums, this form will reconcilethe estimated credit withwhat the actual credit shouldbe. These individuals willeither get a refundable cred-it when they file their taxreturn or possibly have topay a portion of theadvanced credit back.

Form 8965 will be used toidentify any exemptions forindividuals that do not havehealth care coverage or tocalculate their sharedresponsibility payment (i.e.penalty) for not having cov-erage during any part of theyear.

For more information or alook at the new reportingstandards and forms, pleasecontact accountant or taxprofessional.

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Building on the success ofthe fall EatINLivingston!campaign, restauranteurs arecoming together, and anyothers interested in gettinginvolved are certainly wel-come to join us in develop-ing a Passport to Dining forLivingston County. The EatIN Livingston workgroup

will meet at the chamber ona fairly regular basis over thenext couple of months withthe hopes of rolling out thepassport by April 2015. Ifyou are interested in partici-pating in this workgroup,please contact Sarah Kirin atthe chamber office at 243-2222 or email her at

sarah@livingstoncounty-chamber.com.

Passport to Dining

THE CHAMBER FACTOR I FEBRUARY 2015 13

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By Ken Polasky VP of Government AffairsNYS Business Council

Governor Cuomo’s Exec-utive Budget maintains thetwo percent growth cap onstate operating funds, withnon-capital state fundsspending proposed toincrease by $1.5 billion or1.7%. All funds spendingwould grow 2.8% driven bya proposed 17.3% increasein capital spending. Schoolaid would grow by $1.1 bil-lion, or 4.8%, contingent onagreements on teacher eval-uations and tenure and otherperformance improvementproposals. Medicaid wouldstay at its 3.6% growth tar-get.

If enacted as proposed, theExecutive Budget wouldproduce a balanced budgetfor FY 2016, and modest

operating surpluses for thenext three fiscal years.

This proposal includes anunprecedented $5.7 billionin one time, “windfall” set-tlement funds. The Execu-tive Budget proposes toapply $1.5 billion to a fiveyear upstate redevelopmentprogram, $1.28 billion forThruway Authority relief(including Tappan Zeebridge funding), $850 mil-lion for the state’s reservefund, $500 million for astatewide broadband initia-tive, $400 million for hospi-tal improvements, and theremainder for various proj-ects and purposes, mostlyrelating to transportation.

The Executive Budgetincludes a major new resi-dential real property tax“circuit breaker” credit, thatwhen fully implementedwould produce $1.8 billion

in relief to homeowners andrenters.

Major business tax initia-tives include: legislation tobring New York City’s busi-ness taxes into conformancewith the state’s 2014reforms; a reduction in cor-porate franchise tax ratesapplicable to small business-es; and an extension of the atrisk youth employment cred-it. More than fifty “nui-sance” regulatory fees arebeing repealed. And whilethe Executive Budgetincludes a ten year extensionof the brownfield program, italso proposes significantlimitations on its propertyredevelopment tax creditsand repeals the program’spost-redevelopment realproperty tax credit.

Other positive legislationincluded in the budgetinclude an extension and

expansion of “design build”authority (albeit with unnec-essary project labor agree-ment requirements) and pro-visions bolstering schoolperformance and accounta-bility.

On the downside, theExecutive Budget proposesto extend the pre-existingutility gross receipt tax tocell phone services (an esti-mated $50 million per year)and to impose a new assess-ment on health plans to paythe cost of running thestate’s health exchange ($70million per year.)

The most significantemployer cost-driver in theExecutive Budget is its pro-posal to increase the state’sminimum wage to $10.50per hour, and $11.50 perhour in New York City,effective January 1, 2017.The state’s minimum wageincreased to $8.75 per houron December 31, and undercurrent law will increase to$9 per hour at the end of2015.

Other proposals of con-

cern include: increases inenvironmental air and waterpermit fees; new mandatedrebates on pharmaceuticalsunder the state Medicaidprogram; and stringent lim-its on campaign contribu-tions by corporations andLLCs.

Missing from the Execu-tive Budget were severalreforms endorsed by TheBusiness Council, includingexpedited repeal of theremaining section 18-a ener-gy assessment, permanentextension of the real proper-ty tax cap, scaffold lawreform as part of the state’sexpanded infrastructure pro-gram, and a reduction inHCRA taxes related to baddebt and charity care.

For more details on theExecutive Budget from theBusiness Council of NewYork, with a focus on provi-sions impacting New YorkState employers, please visitgo to www.bcnys.org or callKen Pokalsy directly at 518-465-7511 x.205

14 FEBRUARY 2015 I THE CHAMBER FACTOR

FY 2016:

NYS Executive Budget Summary

Success. We achieve it together.

Membership subject to eligibility. ESL is a registered service mark of ESL Federal Credit Union.

It’s more than doing business here. It’s being truly vested in the growth and success of our region. Because this is home to all of us.

ESL IS HONORED TO SERVE THE LIVINGSTON COUNTY COMMUNITY.Geneseo Office, 22 Ryan Drive, Geneseo esl.org > 585.336.1000 > 20 branches

Membership subject to eligibility. ESL is a registered service mark of ESL Federal Credit Union.

It’s more than doing business here. It’s being truly vested in the growth and success of our region. Because this is home to all of us

g g yg g y.

ESL IS HONORED TO SERVE THELIVINGSTON COUNTY COMMUNITY.Geneseo Office, 22 Ryan Drive, Geneseo esl.org > 585.336.1000 > 20 branches

THE CHAMBER FACTOR I FEBRUARY 2015 15

By Chris NobleCraigs Station Creamery

The desire to add value tothe milk they are producingled eight local farms, includ-ing four farms from Liv-ingston County, to build a14,000 square foot dairyprocessing facility in thetown of York, NY. Thesefarms have partnered with anational dairy cooperative –Dairy Farmers of America –to invest in the facility. Theproject is also supported bythe New York State Excel-sior Jobs Program and Liv-ingston County EconomicDevelopment.

The $12 million milk pro-cessing plant, dubbed“Craigs Station Creamery,”is located adjacent to Noble-

hurst Farms. The facilityitself uses a pair of cold-milk centrifugal separatorsto produce high-quality skimand low-fat milk as well ascream for the regional dairyindustry. Situated betweenthe farm and plant is a 1.33million gallon-capacityanaerobic digester. Themanure from the cows andthe wastewater from theplant are combined in thedigester to produce biogaswhich is conveyed into a440-kilowatt engine genera-tor, creating electricity thatis used to power both theplant and the farm (approxi-mately the equivalent ofpowering 300 homes). Thissustainable technology isone of the many features ofCraigs Station Creamery’s

vision to broaden the eco-friendliness of its processingpractices.

The farm partners inCraigs Station Creamery areeach located within 30 milesof the plant, thus reducinghauling miles and carbonfootprint, and collectivelymilk more than 13,000cows. A dedicated supply of100,000 gallons of milkevery day from these eightlocal farms ensures trace-ability for its products. Eachfarm has its own unique his-tory, but all support commonprinciples of maintaining afamily legacy, beinggreen/sustainable and prac-ticing excellent animal hus-bandry. These attributes area part of a philosophy alsoembraced by the plant that

enables these farmers toconnect more directly toconsumers and consumertrends. For the local farms itis also a way to diversify andsecure a value-added outletfor their product.

During the constructionphase, which took 13months beginning in Sep-tember 2013, the plantemployed as many as 25local construction workers.Now that it is runningapproximately 12 hours each

day, 10 new jobs have beencreated since the first milktruck pulled in the drivewayon October 17, 2014. Thereis potential to add even morejobs with expansion of thefacility. Agriculture is the #1industry in LivingstonCounty, and this is justanother example of the inno-vation that the farmers andagribusinesses in this com-munity have been able toachieve.

Innovation in Agriculture

16 FEBRUARY 2015 I THE CHAMBER FACTOR

Village Cafe, 70 Main St., Geneseo Shannanagans, 153 Main St., Dansville

Ribbon Cutting Celebrations

5820 Big Tree Rd., Lakeville

(in front of Vitale Park) umpireagency.com

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THE CHAMBER FACTOR I FEBRUARY 2015 17

2015 Livingston County Chamber Board of DirectorsChair: (Open)Vice Chair: Matt Cole, Commodity Resource Corp. & North Shore GrillTreasurer: Anne Marie Mattice, Bank of CastileSecretary: Gene Tonucci, Allen Bailey Tag & LabelPast Chairman: John Quinlan, Quinlan’s Pharmacy & Medical SupplyAt-Large Mem.: Ian Coyle, Livingston County Board of Supervisors

Directors:Phil Brooks, Livingston County IDA,

Power & Construction GroupGeorgia Macauley, Merrimac Farms

Dawn Aprile, Prelium Development CorporationPaul Morrell, SBDC at SUNY Geneseo

Lisa Bleier, Caledonia Village InnRebecca Lawrence, Gert & Bert Creations

Robert Deming, Genesee Valley Web MarketingJulie Marshall, Livingston County IDA

Tammy West, Noyes Memorial HospitalCraig Nobbs, Steuben Trust Company

Don Bennett, Conesus Lake CampgroundRobyn Smith, Nothnagle Realtors

Katie Schreiner, Five Star BankJoe Bucci Jr., American Rock Salt

Edmund Russell, Underberg & Kessler LLP

Staff – Call (585) 243-2222

Laura Lane, President & CEO ext.229Elissa Leuer, Director of Tourism & Marketing ext.226Janice Keane, Member Services Coordinator ext.224

Deb Cisco, Director of Group Insurance ext.225Sarah Kirin, Marketing Associate ext.221

Hours: M-F 8:30- 4:30Location: 4635 Millennium Dr. Geneseo, NY 14454

Websites: livingstoncountychamber.com & fingerlakeswest.com

18 FEBRUARY 2015 I THE CHAMBER FACTOR

Coming Soon!

21 Main St. Box 159 Livonia, 346-3041

Briggs Tire & Farm Service, Inc.

“Tires are our only Business”

Agriculture in big busi-ness in Livingston Countyand with big business comebig challenges. That’s whythe more advocates a busi-ness can have in its corner,the better.

One of a farms best advo-cates and biggest supportersis Livingston County FarmBureau, which strives “ToServe and Strengthen Agri-culture.” Established in1918, Livingston CountyFarm Bureau provides anopportunity for individualsinterested in the food sys-tem, land issues and ruralliving to join together andmake their voices heard. We

are active within the politi-cal system on a broad rangeof issues that concern everyNew Yorker, from taxation,conservation to local foodavailability. We believe thata strong, viable agriculturalindustry is beneficial notonly to our economy, butalso to our local communi-ties and our consumers.

Livingston County FarmBureau is comprised of a 17member board of directors,that meets monthly, lead bythe president, BradMacauley of MerrimacFarms. The local chapterworks to solve economicand public policy issueschallenging the agriculturalcommunity. Furthermore,

the Livingston County FarmBureau presents the Liv-ingston County Farm Fest,their largest public outreachevent. 2014 was the mostsuccessful event to date.The kick off to the eventbegan in August with theamazing “Farms are Family”billboard campaign featur-ing 6 Livingston Countyfamily farms. In 2014 weraised $10,074 in monetarydonations, received dona-tions of 800 cartons of milk,

500 containers of yogurt,1000 cookies, 500 cheesesticks, and the most amazingVOLUNTEERS!

Farm Fest is just one wayfor farmers and non-farmersto get involved with the Liv-ingston County FarmBureau. For more informa-tion on the numerous volun-teer opportunities visit theweb at www.NYFB.com orcontact Meghan Rodwell at800-929-1350.

THE CHAMBER FACTOR I FEBRUARY 2015 19

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When consumers knowthat a small business is amember of the chamber ofcommerce, they are 80%more likely to purchasegoods or services from thecompany in the future. Beon the watch for thenewest way to let yourcustomers know that youare a member of the Liv-ingston County AreaChamber of Commerce.

Within the next coupleof weeks all current mem-bers will be receiving inthe mail their 2015 Mem-bership Decal.

Be sure to proudly dis-play this seal of member-ship and the gold standardof your operation as aChamber member. Andremember, 80% more like-ly to do business!

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