Member Spotlight
Every one of our members is unique and so are their stories. Each month the Member Spotlight takes a behind the scenes look of one of our members to showcase their story of who they are and what they do!
Checkout previous spotlights below!
Harlem Cultural Festival Foundation
Harlem Cultural Festival Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, celebrates the legacy of the historic 1969 festival, which became the largest and most successful Black music festival in history. As the organization "Celebrates 55 Years of Soul" this Fall with its 55th anniversary commemorative programming, the Harlem Cultural Festival Foundation honors this iconic event and ensures its social, economic, and cultural impact will continue to benefit the community for generations to come
Green Energy Technology
Green Energy Technology (GET) is a leading installer of electric charging stations who is headquartered in New York City but has technology and services across many regions of the United States. GET is a one stop shop for its clients managing the installation process and the follow-up monitoring of equipment and services.
Agri-Mark
Agri-Mark is a dairy farmer cooperative located in Chateaugay that purchases milk from upstate farmers and produces dairy products under the brands Cabot, McCadam, and Agri-Marlk. Agrimark employs approximately 110 employees who work shifts 365 days a year and produce over 130 thousand pounds of cheese daily.
Creative Education Foundation
The Creative Education Foundation is a personal and professional transformation group that empowers people with the skill set, tool set, and mindset of deliberate creativity. Their clients range from individuals, to schools to businesses of all sizes.
Catalyst Power
Catalyst Power is an independent energy solutions provider (ESCO) specializing in integrating retail energy and distributed energy resources, supplying energy solutions tailored to businesses. Their footprint is in the northeast, employing approximately 30 people.
Mower - Fall 2023
For more than 50 years Mower has been a leading advertising, marketing and public relations company based in Syracuse with offices across the country. Today they have more than 100 clients while employing more than 100 individuals in 18 locations across 11 states. In 2022, Mower became a full ESOP company where employees are the owners.
May 2023 | Cummins
Cummins, the Jamestown Engine Plant, was purchased in 1974 by Cummins Inc and named the Jamestown Components Plant. In 2023, Cummins is celebrating 49 years of operation and currently manufactures three engines for Class A trucks in its one million square foot facility. The 1,200 employees can produce over 400 engines a day. Cummins Inc currently has plans to expand its Jamestown facility.
April 2023 | Fancher Chair
Fancher Chair in Falconer, outside of Jamestown, has been a functional wood factory facility for over 200 years. After opening its doors in 1807 as a sawmill, today Fancher Chair makes seats for all types of businesses around the country including several chairs that sit in a very old but important Washington D.C. building. The chair manufacturer currently employs over 120 people and is one of the largest workforces in the Jamestown area.
March 2023 | Stuyvesant Champagne
Stuyvesant Champagne is a Brooklyn company owned and operated by Marvina Robinson, a former Wall Street employee who has always loved fine champagne. Stuyvesant Champagne is an exclusive product grown and produced in the cuvees of France and distributed throughout the U.S. This growing business is in the process of becoming a state-certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE).
January 2023 | Ultimate Fighting Championship
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is as strong an entertainment brand as any in the world. With more than 40 live events each year held worldwide, its reach is more than one billion tv households in 165 countries through more than 60 television partners. Unlike its beginning, today, the UFC holds numerous events in New York State, which accounts for tens of millions of dollars in economic impact revenue throughout many regions.
August 2022 | New York Racing Association
The Saratoga Race Course is over 150 years old and today is more popular than ever. Under the direction of the New York Racing Association (NYRA), Saratoga Race Course is home to world-class thoroughbred racing for roughly 40 days in July and August. The track supports thousands of jobs and provides an economic impact in the hundreds of millions of dollars for the region. In addition, NYRA supports the horsemen associations’ that breed the horses while also giving back to area non-profits and charities.
June 2022 | Seating Inc.
Seating Inc. is making the Village of Nunda better by providing approximately 25 jobs to the local community. The family-owned chair manufacturing facility has been operating since the late 1980s when a family of furniture makers moved from Canada to Nunda.
May 2022 | Crowne Plaza - The Desmond Hotel Albany
At 48 years old, the hotel recently finished key renovations to meet the needs of the modern-day traveler just in time for their new partnership with Crowne Plaza. Employing over 100 people, this hotel is the third-largest in the Capital Region with a unique and rich history.
April 2022 | Lafarge
Lafarge is a cement manufacturer in Ravena. The plant dates back to 1962 and has changed owners several times over the years. Lafarge is one of the largest cement manufacturers in the US, and the Ravena plant is the largest in New York State. Ravena is home to a large limestone quarry mined to find the valuable mineral needed in cement production. As the largest employer in Ravena, Lafarge spends a lot of time and resources giving back to the community they call home.
February 2022 | ARCA
ARCA is an asset recovery company who is reimaging the supply chain system. Based in Buffalo, ARCA has a 45,000 square foot facility that houses resale and recycling products that meet the demands of both public and private corporations. The company is proud of not only their projected growth and expansion for 2022 but also the fact 10% of their workforce is made up of employees with intellectual disabilities, just one of the ways President Greg Shoemaker says the company invests in the community they call home.
January 2022 | Workforce Buffalo
Workforce Buffalo, a career services organization that connects qualified candidates with Erie County employers ready to hire. Workforce Buffalo matches employment-ready people with employers through a specific on-the-job training program that will benefit both employee and employer long term. Many of the trainees are hired following the training as full-time employees. Workforce Buffalo is consistently improving traditional workforce development methods to match the needs of the region they serve.