Business

Saturday, Sept. 17, was Kutter's annual Customer Appreciation Day.

Kutter's Cheese Factory Store began operations in 1923, when Leo Kutter emigrated to the United States from Germany. The factory moved to Corfu, site of this weekend's festivities, in 1947.  

Visitors were offered samples of Yancey's Fancy's 19 varieties of cheeses, available in 29 flavors.

Brian and Heather Bailey and Christine Adamczak, who bought Kutter's from Tony and Richard Kutter in 2009, were on hand to offer visitors wine and cheese samples. Musical entertainment was provided by Finesse (a female barbershop quartet), and there was a factory tour to explain the cheese-making process.

The company is looking to expand its operations in the next two years, and if the attendance at the festivities on Saturday were any indication, Genesee County is more than ready for the expansion.

Heather and Brian Bailey with the Kutter's classic car.

"Hot Stuff" -- Yancey's Fancy's own buffalo.

Finesse, a women's barbershop quartet, featuring (from left to right): tenor Sharie Vlack (Elba), lead Peggy Watkins (Attica), baritone Beth Allen (Elba), and bass Carolyn Schultz (Oakfield).

The group is a subset of the Crossroads of Harmony Chorus, which will be holding a reunion on Oct. 17 at the Genesee County Nursing Home. For more information, contact Finesse at allenkittyzoo@gmail.com.

More pictures from the event can be found here.

There's a new thrift store in the city.

Volunteers of America has opened a resale shop in East Town Plaza, next to Aldi's.

The 13,600-square-foot store employs nine people and offers up the usual variety of thrift store items, from clothing and used books to furniture and housewares.

Store manager Jamie Reece said VoA offers a variety of services to help people who need a restart in life -- from work experience programs and new wardrobes to victims of domestic violence.

VoA is also interested in working with and assisting other charities in Genesee County.

"We're still reaching out to the other non-profits," Reece said. "We're trying to work with the other non-profits in the area, anyway we can help."

Tyrone Gantt, of Rochester, came out to Batavia today to visit his granddaughters and thought he would bring his ice cream truck along.

He said he's never brought the truck with him before, but people kept telling him there was no ice cream truck in Batavia and it might be an opportunity for him.

After the response he received today he said, "I should come out here more often."

When he stopped on Maple Street around 6 p.m., people -- adults and children -- came running (some, really running) from all directions.

His granddaughters are Sharmaine Powell (pictured in the truck), Jykiya Powell and LaQueasha Taylor.

The mini-boomlet of new businesses opening on Ellicott Street, Batavia, continues with The Laughing Buddha at 440 Ellicott St.

The Laughing Buddha offers tattoos, piercing and a gift shop.

Pictured are tattoo artists Eric "Crazy Goose" Weis, left, and James "Jimi" Soccio, along with Ashley Keene, who handles the front counter, owner Jay Lang (who also owns Batavia Cab Co.), and Eric Betz, piercer and store manager (Betz is formerly of Time Bomb Tattoo).

There's no record to confirm, but it's probably been decades since a new barbershop opened in Batavia.

Sure, there have been plenty of hair salons that have opened, but a barbershop, it's almost as if they went out of style with, well, styling.

According to Brandon Armstrong, barbershops remain popular in bigger cities and he decided to bring some of the same flair of the modern barbershop to Batavia.

The Batavia resident has opened City Styles at the corner of Ellicott and Liberty streets (before any of us were born, the location of a corner grocery drug store called Gioia's, but more recently, the location of Mother's Chicken & Fish).

"In the bigger cities, there's a bigger barbershop culture," said the 22-year-old Armstrong. "The barbershop is a big part of their daily life."

Besides haircuts, Armstrong also offers hot towel shaves.

There are only three barbershop schools in New York and one of them, Sheer Eagle, is in Rochester, which is where Armstrong studied. He also worked as a barber at Le Roy Manor.

"There's a big demand here for a barbershop that serves a younger crowd," Armstrong said, explaining why he opened a barbershop. "I've always wanted to be my own boss. I used to work for my cousin Brian Kemp at T-Shirts Etc. and I saw that I would like working for myself."

While Armstrong believes his shop will be the only one in town with an expertise in African-American hairstyles, he isn't putting up a barber pole out just to serve one segment of Batavia's population.

"I can cut anybody's hair," Armstrong said. "I'm well-rounded and have lots of experience with all styles."

Pictured with Armstrong is Eric Smith, Armstrong's first paying customer after Armstrong opened Wednesday afternoon.

If you're an artist, even if you get your degree in graphic arts, there aren't many opportunities to do what you love.

Especially in a small town.

Mark Fanara got his degree from SUNY Brockport, just a few years after he got his first tattoo.

It didn't take him long to figure that maybe body art was a way he could avoid being a penniless artist or getting tied down by a suit and a tie.

He made a career decision -- to open his own tattoo parlor in his hometown, Batavia.

The start of the 21st Century turned out to be a good time to open up a tattoo business. People like Dennis Rodman and Brian Setzer helped make tattoos into a mainstream symbol of individuality.

"There a lot of people who have tattoos that you would never know they have them," Fanara said.

From soccer moms to police sergeants, tattoos aren't just something only drunken sailors get in San Diego or Honolulu or bikers use to advertise their outlaw aspirations. They are no longer just dancing hula girls, red hearts dedicated to mom or anchors emblazoned with "USN." A good tattoo is a complex work of art.

There are whole magazines now devoted to covering the latest trends in skin art.

And Fanara and his staff can give anybody the kind of tattoo they want -- from a simple rose on the back of a shoulder, to a complex and detailed eagle with wings spanning a chest.

High Voltage Tattoo opened Ellicott Street in 2006 and about a year ago Fanara moved his shop to 110 West Main St., Batavia, giving him a high-profile location and a completely remodeled and modern parlor.

A week ago, The Batavian hung out at High Voltage while 36-year-old Fanara applied an ornate zombie face to the back of an arm of one of his apprentices, 18-year-old Ashli Hill, of York.

Hill, who does body piercing for High Voltage and is learning how to tattoo, said she's always loved art and was attracted to tattoos because her dad had them.

"I just remember my dad having this crappy looking panther and I just thought it was the coolest thing," Hill said.

The zombie face was a drawing Hill found online and decided it was a theme she would like to develop in her own body art.

"I love scary movies," Hill said. "I love zombie movies. I decided that's a theme I would like to build on."

She also said she likes tattoos on her arms because, "it makes me feel like Popeye."

Fanara said he gets all kinds of people coming through his door, from the accountant looking for just a little something only his friends on weekends will see, to hardcore tattoo addicts who are looking to add a new work of art to their bodies.

"The classics never go out of style," said Fanara. "The heart with 'mom' will never go out of style."

Of course, many of his clients are repeat customers.

"It's one of those things where once you get one (tattoo), you just want more," Fanara said.

"It's really a mainstream art now," he added. "It's a way to personalize your skin and it's a way to express your personality."

Safety

While we talked, Fanara brought out a surprising issue: Genesee County is one of the few county's in the state that doesn't regulate tattoo parlors. NYS has some regulations, but in most counties, the health department conducts monthly inspections of tattoo parlors, and Fanara thinks in the interest of public safety, Genesee County should do the same.

Fanara said he follows all of the safety and cleaning recommendations common in the industry, from sterilizing his autoclave to using disposable needles, but he believes the public should be assured that all tattoos are applied with the same safety standards.

One danger he warned against is the tattoo applied by the hobbyist at the kitchen table.

"They just know nothing about safety," he said.

Licensing and inspections might help reduce the number of tattoos that aren't applied in a safe environment.

"It would be a good idea," Fanara said. "It would make it safer for everyone. I don't want to pay another fee or pay for a license, but it would just make getting a tattoo safer."

A power outage that began this morning before the park opened has 10 rides closed at Darien Lake Theme Park, according to spokeswoman Cassandra Okon.

Darien Lake staff is investigating the loss of power and officials aren't sure when the rides will reopen.

Okon did not say which rides are closed.

Staff is unsure at this point if the power outage is due to a technical glitch with National Grid or a problem within the park itself.

Shannon Harder moved her business earlier this month from Alexander to Batavia in search of a bigger customer base.

She figured her bulk-food store and deli would see an increase in business, but she never expected the kind of reception she's received.

"We've been very busy," Harder said. "It's exceed all of my expectations. I knew we would do better, but I never expected this response."

On just about any given afternoon, the parking lot of Molasses Hill Bulk Foods, 466 Ellicott St., is full.

The store carries a variety of spices, speciality flours and other baking ingredients along with a full-service deli counter.

And the deli will start serving homemade soups soon, Harder said.

Pictured with Harder is her 5-year-old daughter Teagan.

The city and the Town of Batavia along with the GCEDC have come to terms on an agreement to provide sewer service to the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park.

The agreement calls for GCEDC to construct the new sewer system and for the city and town to own and maintain one pump station each.

The city won't be asked to pay for a dime of the construction, according to GCEDC CEO Steve Hyde, but will be responsible for the maintenance of its pump station.

"In the long term, the revenue from the sewer system will be very, very significant," Hyde said. "The revenue will be into the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually as we build out the ag park. The revenue will far outweigh the cost of maintaining the infrastructure."

The plan calls for two new pump stations, one within city limits serving the park and O-AT-KA Milk, and the other within the town boundaries and serving the ag park.

The Batavia City Council will be asked to approve the agreement, which must be in place before the groundbreaking for the new Alpina Products plant, at a special meeting Thursday.

The majority of the funding for construction of the pump stations and sewer lines will come from grants received by GCEDC for the ag park project. O-AT-KA Milk will also pay a portion of the construction costs. The exact costs and expense split has not yet been released.

The citys' pump station will be built near Cedar and Ellicott streets with a sewer line running north to Main Street.

The town's station will be built near Main Street Road within the ag park and connect with the main sewer line under Main Street.

O-AT-KA Milk is planning a significant expansion and needs the additional sewer capacity. Even now, according to a city memo, O-AT-KA's sewer outflow occasionally exceeds the capacity of the Ellicott Street gravity sewer line.

WBTA contributed to this report.

If you've ever used Google Maps, then you probably know what "Street View" is.  For those who don't or haven't noticed Street View before, it's a service of Google Maps that allows you to "navigate" along a street on the map, seeing what buildings are on the street.  The theory, supposedly, is that if you ever travel to that street, you'll see better the landmarks and such to help you find what you're looking for.

Much of Batavia was already mapped by the Google "Street View Car" -- seen above -- but the car is apparently back in town today.

I spotted it on Court Street this morning (link for Street View example). Andy Pedro sent in this picture of the car Violet Lane.

New investors and an ambitious growth plan have been announced by the management of Lapp Insulators, based in Le Roy, according to the Democrat & Chronicle.

With 125 employees in Le Roy and more than 1,000 worldwide, the management team of Lapp presented a growth plan to the company's ownership group, Andlinger & Co., which saw potential in the plan but felt the management group should seek outside funding to execute the plan.

German-based equity investors Quadriga Capital bought out Andlinger.

Officials say the plan could lead to increased employment in Le Roy.

The Genesee County manufacturer sees growth opportunities in the United States and particularly in fast-growing international markets.

Lapp's annual sales are close to $180 million and, with Quadriga's financial backing, the hope is for revenue to climb to $250 million to $300 million by the middle of this decade. Lapp was No. 10 in the most recent Rochester Top 100 ranking of the region's fastest-growing private companies.

Batavia has a new cheerleader. Her name is Julie Pacatte and she believes Batavia has a bright future and she's ready to help.

"We have to believe in ourselves," Pacatte said. "Statistics show Batavia is not a bedroom community. It's not dependent on Buffalo or Rochester. It has an opportunity to be self sufficient and take care of its own."

Pacatte has eight years experience working in community development in Upstate New York and understands the cynicism of many who think Western New York, if not the entire northeast, is doomed.

Pacatte, who started her new job Thursday as economic development coordinator for Batavia Development Corporation, believes Batavia has a lot going for it. It's centrally located, is supported by a strong agricultural sector, has a vibrant local business community and is a beautiful place to live and work.

Part of her job, she said, will be to help local business owners, if they need it, become re-energized about growing their businesses.

"There is hope for the future," Pacatte said. "There are resources available. There are resources for people to be creative in this city, to work hard and try new things. There's support for that in this city and that's what I would define as the small business owner."

The new position is funded through a partnership between the BDC and the City of Batavia. The $90,000 annual budget for the position -- Pacatte's salary is $60,000 a year -- is being funded through a fund withdrawal from the BDC's revolving loan program and a $10,000 contribution from the city. 

Part of Pacatte's job is to make the position self-sustaining within two years by bringing in grants and aid for development projects in the city.

It's not a task that Pacatte finds particularly daunting.

"I'm all for a challenge," she said.

While Pacatte and her husband have made a commitment to stay in Clarence while their daughter, just entering ninth grade, finishes high school, Pacatte said she's fully committed to helping Batavia grow.

"Batavia is at the crossroads of Western New York," Pacatte added. "I really, really believe there is an opportunity here, and there is an opportunity to inspire the independent thinkers, those who want to see progress."

At least five people showed up to Present Tense Books on Thursday as a result of the Genesee Cash Mob effort organized by Chris Charvella.

There may have been more customers come in because of the novel effort to promote local businesses, said owner Erica Caldwell, but only five people said specifically that they came in because of the "cash mob."

"I know some of them hadn't been in the store before and I think it's fantastic if it gets people to visit a store they hadn't been in before," Caldwell said.

It's hard to say, said Caldwell, if the business day was bigger than normal.

"There is no normal," she said. "Business fluctuates so much day to day, there is no baseline to compare it to."

But that's almost beside the point, Caldwell indicated.

The key of the Genesee Cash Mob idea is to promote the idea of shopping locally at independently owned businesses, which Caldwell fully supports.

"It was definitely worth it," Caldwell said.

And she figures being the first cash mob effort, the participation will only grow. She didn't have high expectations for a big return, being the business selected for the first week.

"It was wonderful being the first business selected," Caldwell said. "I'm very proud of that because it means we must be doing something right."

A hand-painted sign on the back of Main St. Pizza Company on East Main Street, Batavia, has the local zoning board's blessing, according to shop owner Vic Marchese.

He said that the zoning board approved a variance for the sign on Tuesday, even though the county planning board had recommended disapproval.

The sign was painted by local muralist Vinny DelPlato earlier this summer. It was only after Delplato completed the work did Marchese learn the painting, considered a sign, not art work, needed city approval.