This is the fourth story in a series about the winners of the 2011 Genesee County Chamber of Commerce awards.

In the daunting world of delicate machinery, complicated tools and hulking robotic manufacturing systems, Adept Equipment Services provides peerless expertise for customers around the globe.

Both in house and on site, the company services, repairs, refurbishes and maintains specialized equipment used in automotive, medical, consumer electronics, machining and packaging industries, and more. It can also, of course, take care of run-of-the-mill gizmos.

Adept boasts the ability to create tooling, develop fixtures, design, fabricate, test and train to meet their clients' wide-ranging needs. It is located at 5130 E. Main St. Road, Suite 1, in the Town of Batavia.

The company has so impressed the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, it was selected as the 2011 Entrepreneurial Business of the Year.

Tom Steffenilla, Adept's president and CEO, is largely responsible for its success and has a long history working with machinery, beginning years ago in the military.

In 11th grade, he had enough credits to graduate from high school and he enlisted in the service. With some experience repairing electronics, he started his military career working with various equipment and machinery.

After three years in Germany, working with nuclear missiles during the Reagan and Gorbachev Era, he returned to the states. His knowledge of these intricate systems helped him build machines, kilns and other equipment, and he worked his way up the ladder.

When the company he worked for was bought by a competitor and being relocated to another state, he and other workers had to decide if they would follow.

Maintaining relationships with established customers was the deciding factor in Steffenilla's choice to stay put. Not wanting to strand these customers, “I asked my service team to take this risk with me to start out on our own,” he said.

So in 2009, Adept Equipment Services was established.

It's the only company of its kind in Genesee County and that made it a prime candidate for the entrepreneurial award.

“We can design, build and service it all,” he said.

Adept's focus on providing quality service and meeting customers' needs is the cornerstone of its operating philospohy. Everything revolves around that.

This commitment has prompted Adept to expand its borders and connect to consumers wherever they might be.

“Most of our customers are outside of Genesee County. We have people all over the world,” Steffenilla said. “We have been overseas, to Mexico, Canada, and are going to Brazil ... If someone needs something, we service them no matter the cost."

If a customer in the field has an immediate requirement, Adept's crew simply stops what's being done in the shop to make sure it gets handled.

Bottom line: The company’s strongest desire is customer satisfaction.

“Sometimes this gets lost with the bigger (competitors) -- They get arrogant,” Steffenilla said. “With us, we will come do the job and worry about the details later. Quality is ingrained in all of us. We keep everyone happy as best as we can."

That goes for employees, too. After all, part of success is having a contented work force.

Even though the staff is small, their collective savvy is great. With more than 50 years experience together, the handful of technicians and an administrative manager combine a kaleidoscope of abilities to earn customers' trust and deliver the best service in the industry.

Steffenilla grew up in Genesee County. He and his family reside in Stafford.

That may be the contributing factor for his passion to see this area succeed. He wants his company to be known for helping other businesses here to prosper and to use as many local vendors as possible.

“If they thrive, then I thrive,” he said.

Photo provided by Tom Steffenilla. (Typically, for the chamber awards, we take photos of each of the winners, trying to get at least one nice portrait shot and then presenting a print of that to the winner at the awards dinner. Unfortunately, a hard-disk failure wiped out the pictures we had taken of Tom before they were processed and Tom hasn't been available for a new picture. We thank Tom for the photo above and apologize for the lack of one of our own photos.)

Press release:

Approximately 700 National Grid customers in the Byron-Bergen area will experience a brief electrical service interruption on Saturday (April 14) morning to allow technicians to safely replace a vital transformer in a substation servicing that region.

Affected customers are receiving automated telephone calls from the company prior to the outage, which is scheduled from 4 to 6 a.m. on Saturday.  In addition, National Grid has notified local police and fire officials.

National Grid makes every effort to minimize both the number and length of planned service outages, and attempts to schedule events during times that will have the least impact on most customers.  Work in the Byron-Bergen station is part of the company’s commitment to provide safe and reliable service.

The brief interruption should have no lasting impact on service, but customers may wish to disconnect sensitive electronic equipment during the outage as a precaution.

The judicial process in the case of the People v. Jacquetta Simmons took another step forward today with Simmons appearing in Genesee County Court to answer to charges stemming from an alleged assault on Christmas Eve against a 70-year-old Walmart employee.

A grand jury indicted Simmons on two counts of assault in the second degree.

As is routine for a criminal defendant at this stage of the proceedings, Simmons entered a not guilty plea.

Earl Key, and his assistant Ann Nichols, the attorneys for Simmons, will now have 45 days to file motions.

Simmons is scheduled to reappear in court June 21 for a hearing on any motions filed on her behalf.

The 26-year-old Batavia woman is accused of hitting Grace Suozzi, who was working at Walmart on Christmas Eve, causing Suozzi to suffer facial fractures.

One of the assault charges is based on a fairly new statute that makes it a felony for a younger person to hit a person over 65 years old.

WHAM13: New Push for MMA in New York

A fully involved shed fire with exposure to a residence is reported at 245 Martin Road, near the intersection with Bloomingdale Road in Alabama. Alabama Fire Department is responding. Akron is responding because it had somebody already at the scene. Indian Falls is standing by in their hall. The shed is about 10 by 15 square feet.

UPDATE 7:42 a.m.: The fire has been knocked down. Firefighters are checking for any extensions.

A second man involved in a "particularly dangerous" type of methamphetamine production has entered a guilty plea in federal court.

Christopher L. Williams, 33, of 8 Erie St., Le Roy, faces up to a year in prison or a fine of $100,000 or both after his guilty plea to unlawful possession of methamphetamine.

His apparent partner, Nicholas P. Sadwick, 24, of Le Roy, entered a guilty plea on charges stemming from the same case last month.

Both men were arrested a year ago after a residence they were using was raided by members of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

The manufacturing method used involved batteries -- a method unique among all of the other meth lab busts in 2010 -- which Deputy Chief Jerome Brewster described at the time as "particularly dangerous."

In a press release today, the U.S. Attorney's Office said investigators found a baggie and a Mason jar, both containing clear liquid that was found to contain methamphetamine.

Outside the residence, investigators found an Icy Hot pack that had been ripped open.

"These items are common materials used in the production and clandestine manufacture of methamphetamine," the release said.

Williams admitted to possessing methamphetamine for personal use.

Sentencing is set for 11 a.m., July 11, in federal court in Buffalo.

A one-vehicle rollover accident has been reported in the westbound lane of the Thruway near mile marker 398.2.

No word on injuries.

East Pembroke Fire Department and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 10:03 p.m.: Two vehicle occupants are out of the car and walking, being evaluated for injuries.

With some stunning clouds in the sky late this afternoon, I couldn't resist going for a drive and gravitated, as I often do, toward Creek Road in the Town of Batavia.

When I stopped to take some pictures of cows on the property of Baskin Livestock (bottom photo), a car pulled alongside my spot on the shoulder of the road and the driver asked what I was doing. 

"I'm taking some pictures," I said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because it's what I like to do."

She said, "I used to take pictures and I would develop the film myself."

As we talked, she told me she had some pictures of the Liberty National Bank in the city being demolished. I told her I would like to see them, so she said she would try to find them and invited me to her house.

And so I met Andrew and Antoinette Dempski, decades-long residents of Creek Road.

"I always had a good eye for photography," Antoinette told me, and the photos of her children when they were much younger were much better than typical family snapshots. She had a real artistic flare.

"My father carried a camera with him where ever he went," she said.

He was a Polish veteran of World War I who moved to Buffalo and went to work for the city's sanitation department. The lingering effect of mustard gas, she explained, would sometimes make him a little crazy.

Unfortunately, on the day her mother was buried, somebody broke into her Buffalo home and stole all of her father's photographs, including pictures of her growing up, such as graduation and First Communion photos.

Antoinette was born in Buffalo and her husband, Andrew, was born on Old Creek Road. 

Andrew drew my attention -- not that I could have missed it -- to a gorgeous portrait hanging on their living room wall of a young and fetching Antoinette drawn by an artist from Quebec.

As for Antoinette's pictures, they were taken with an Kodak camera and a professor at Genesee Community College let her use the darkroom there.

"Those kids had expensive cameras and I just had my box camera, but I had a better eye," she said.

And that's no doubt true.

Alas, and sadly, Antoinette would not let me take her picture, though I'm sure it would have been a lovely portrait.

And below, the results of my attempt to take a cow picture:

A two-car accident with two minor injuries is reported at 9367 Warsaw Road, just south of the Village of Le Roy and north of Perry Road. The accident is blocking and there was air-bag deployment. Le Roy Fire and Ambulance Service is responding along with Le Roy police. The mildly injured persons are refusing treatment.

UPDATE 7:43 p.m.: Le Roy firefighters are returning to service. Tow trucks are en route.

This Sunday, O'Lacy's Irish Pub celebrates 15 years in business.

The location of O'Lacy's on School Street was the Darien Knitting Mill Outlet and Nancy Bachulak and Kent Ewell originally planned to convert the space into an office building, but after a visit to Rhode Island on St. Patrick's Day in 1996, Bachulak and Ewell decided to raze the existing building and build an authentic Irish pub.

Ewell said he's proud of the fact that no public funds were used in the purchase or construction of the building.

Pub stands for public house, and like the pubs of Europe and the British Isles, O'Lacy's has become a popular downtown gathering place for people from all over Genesee County and beyond.

O'Lacy's has won awards for its Guinness pours and is famous for its Reuben sandwich and homemade potato chips and dip.

Ewell and Bachulak have also supported numerous local charitable causes and events over the past 15 years, including the Michael Napoleon Foundation, UMMC and the Crossroads House.

The celebration will take place throughout the day Sunday.

A Rochester man arrested in Greene County and accused of robbing a bank in Greenport may be linked to a bank robbery in Pavilion on Friday.

Deputy Chief Jerome Brewster said Sheriff's Office investigators are looking closely at Jonathan Mills, 24, of 115 Maryland St., Rochester, who has been charged in Greene County with robbery, 3rd, and grand larceny, 3rd, both Class D felonies.

"We believe this is the guy who robbed the Pavilion bank," Brewster said.

Investigators have some fingerprints they would like to match with prints taken by the Greene County Sheriff's Office. If there's a match, Brewster said the evidence will be presented to the District Attorney by Friday for possible arrest or indictment.

The suspect's appearance, M.O. and other physical evidence seem to match, Brewster said.

According to Brewster, Mills may have been involved with as many as four other people in a series of bank robberies around the state.

According to the Daily Mail in Greene County, Mills allegedly presented a bank teller with a note around 4 p.m. Monday. It read “I have a gun, give me all the money, no dye packs and you won’t get hurt.”

Patrols searched and canvassed the immediate area. Sheriff’s investigators conducted witness interviews while evidence technicians processed the crime scene.

“The investigators did a great job,” Capt. David Barlett of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said. “It was some good, old-fashioned police work.”

Pictured above is Tom Ronan, who has worked at Graham Corp. nearly five decades. This is the third story in a series about the 2011 honorees of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

The Graham Corp. is the only publicly traded company currently operating in Genesee County. What began as a small business in 1936 is now a global enterprise, with offices in Suzhou China, Michigan and Houston. The headquarters are still at 20 Florence Ave. in the City of Batavia.

This employer of about 350 people (around 285 locally) is a leading designer and builder of vacuum and heat transfer equipment for process industries. And it’s the Industry of the Year chosen by the chamber of commerce for 2011, Graham’s 75-year Jubilee.

One of the most remarkable things about Graham, in addition to its ability to expand internationally and grow its U.S. customer base, is its steadfast allegiance to Batavia and its employees.

President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Lines put it this way: “We think ‘This is where our founding was.’ We really enjoy the small community. We find the work force … is very committed, very loyal to the company and has just become a tremendous asset to us.

“And I can’t envision another location providing the wealth of strong employees that we’ve been able to pull from this community and I’m just very fortunate to have that as a benefit.”

There are quite a number of longtime employees at Graham, and Lines is one of them, joining the ranks in 1984.

The longest-serving employees presently are Tom Ronan and Roger Becker.

Tom’s been around for a whopping 48 years, thus has never drawn unemployment, and put his two kids through college with his steady paycheck. In addition to his inarguable work ethic, he’s known for being a bit of a jokester. He’s certainly straightforward.

Here’s a sampling from a recent Q & A:

So what’s kept you around here for 48 years? “It just went day by day and the years went by.”

What do you do now? “I do a multitude of things.”

How have you liked working here? “There’s been good days and there’ve been bad days. Hopefully there weren’t too many of the bad ones in a row.”

You used to work for Mr. (Duncan) Berkeley (the son of one of the co-founders who ran the company from 1968 to 1995). What did you do for him? “I did whatever he wanted me to – he was the boss.”

The former Marine and Vietnam vet expounded a little more when asked about the chamber award.

“It’s nice to see a company that I’ve spent my life with is appreciated by the community that they help support. Many times people thought we made crackers, you know.”

Actually, the equipment that Graham Corp. creates is used in the processing of everyday products used by people everywhere – from synthetic fibers and electric power, paper and steel, food and fertilizer, to pharmaceuticals, chemicals and petroleum-based goods.

During World War II, it supplied steam ejectors, surface condensers and heat exchangers for shipboard applications.

Harold M. Graham first incorporated the business as Graham Manufacturing Co. in 1936 and since 1942, the company has grown its clientele far and wide. In 1983, it became the Graham Corp. Today, about half of its sales are outside the United States.

It is overseen by a seven-member board of directors, which includes Jim Lines. The others are President and Chairman of the Board Jerald D. Bidlack, and James J. Barber, Ph.D., Helen H. Berkeley, Alan Fortier, James J. Malvaso and Gerard T. Mazurkiewicz.

Its stocks, with the ticker symbol GHM, are traded on the NYSE Amex and on Tuesday one common share was $20.64.

The ongoing success story is rooted, according to Lines, in management practices put in place long before he took the helm as CEO.

“There’s a fairness the management team and the leaders have to the employees and, in exchange, the employees have tremendous support for the management team, enabling us to do what the business needs to do.

“We look at it really as a mutual responsibility to grow our company, to serve our customers. … We want our employees to recognize us as a place to build a career, not just a business to come work at.”

In addition to Mr. Graham and Mr. Berkeley, he gives a lot of credit for building a remarkable company to Al Cadena, who ran the business from 1995 to 2004.

When asked if the rap against New York for having high taxes and too much regulation has been a hindrance for Graham, Lines said “We’re choosing to be in New York State and we’re choosing to be in Batavia.

“Is it easier in other locations? Perhaps. But I would place my money, and I do, behind the workers we have in this location. They outweigh the challenges that we face. … There’s no assurance that if we were to relocate somewhere else we would have the same strength and that strength is our people.”

Looking forward, part of Graham’s plan is to: expand sales to businesses in China; increase nuclear power operations; and to focus on opportunities with the Navy’s nuclear propulsion program.

But this week, right here in Batavia, the folks at Graham are delighted to be honored by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

“I think that’s tremendous,” Lines said, “that’s a great recognition of a wonderful company that really thrives globally. … it’s a recognition of 75 years of commitment to our customers, 75 years of commitment to our employees and then a recognition that we’re of good service to the community as well.

“We’re very proud to have our company acknowledged in this way.”

Carrile L. Mahon, 37, of Townline Road, Bergen, is charged with felony DWI, failure to keep right, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and refusal to take breath test. Mahon's vehicle reportedly left the roadway and went into a field on Route 98 in Elba at 9:48 p.m., Monday. The accident was investigated by Deputy James Diehl and Sgt. Greg Walker.

Kimberly E. Stack, 34, of 3 Morton Ave., Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Stack was stopped on Ellicott Street at 10:32 p.m., Monday, by Officer Chris Camp after police received a report of an erratic driver.

Batavia PD is looking for the public's assistance in identifying the subject of this photo. It's related to an unspecified incident at Batavia Downs.

Anybody with information to share can contact Officer Marc Lawrence, mlawrence@batavianewyork.com.

A grass fire is reported by Route 20 near Bowen Road. Alexander Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 6:34 p.m.: Alexander is back in service.

This is the second in a series of stories about the 2011 winners of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Awards.

Arctic Refrigeration Company of Batavia, Inc. is heating things up in Genesee County and is being honored by the chamber of commerce as the 2011 Business of the Year.

Brothers Henry and Leo Mager established the company in 1947. The two were  factory mechanics at the time.

They started fixing household appliances, doing different kinds of handiwork on the side. Eventually, the plethora of small jobs gave birth to what is now Arctic Refrigeration.

More than six decades later, the company has evolved into what it is today, managing heating and cooling needs locally for both residential and commercial customers.

Sixty-five years of success is due in part to "longevity and reputation," Jonathan Mager said.

He and his brother, Justin, are the third generation in the family to work with the company, following in their father and grandfather's footsteps.

"We have been successful because we have always been small," Jonathan said. "Today, with less than 12 employees, the company has never grown beyond its means, which allows us to keep it personal and focused on customers."

In addition to heating and cooling, they also provide refrigerated and ventilated agricultural storages to enhance the freshness of harvested produce, reducing unwanted waste.

"We have a lot of onion, potato and cabbage farmers in this area," Jonathan said. "We design, engineer and install these storage systems that are the size of a high-school gymnasium."

The units allow farmers to keep produce longer, storing and selling it months later.

"We can increase storage life, shelf life and stored crop quality with experienced precision."

Three of the top 20 farms in the Northeast -- Torrey Farms, My-T-Acres and Turek Farms -- are some of the ones that house refrigerated systems built and managed by Arctic.

"These farms we service, received their awards in 2010. It is cool to see them recognized."

Arctic also has designed and installed one of the first geothermal heating and cooling systems in a home in this area.

As an alternative to using fossil fuels for heating and air conditioning, "geothermal in the simplest form is taking heat or cooling out of ground, running it through equipment to produce 400-percent-efficient systems," he said.

Because the depth of the Earth remains a constant temperature of 50 degrees, little electricity is used to pull energy out of the ground.

“In essence, it’s like free money,” Jonathan said. "With huge heating bills and costs rising, we are always looking for ways to be energy-efficient.”

Geothermal is not a new idea, having once been tried when there was a shift in the heating oil markets due to the Energy Crisis of 1970s. But it lost popularity just as quickly as it appeared.

More recently, geothermal techniques are finding their way back into commercial and residential heating/cooling systems across the country as consumer trends adopt a more "green" solution.

“Everything we do is energy consumption. Farmers and homeowners want to lower energy bills and this means what we do is lead by being ‘green’.”

Arctic Refrigeration will continue to advance heating and cooling systems for the community by building on the most efficient, environmentally sound methods available.

This is the first in a series of stories about the 2011 winners of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Awards.

Since opening its doors for business in the fall, Palm Island Indoor Water Park at the Clarion Hotel has made a big splash.

Being chosen as the 2011 Innovative Enterprise of the Year by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is proof of its positive impact on the area.

On Sept. 30 last year, a risky dream became a reality for owner Chan Patel, when the doors opened at the new indoor water park in the Town of Batavia and people started to trickle in.

It began when Patel starting to think of ways to create a business to attract tourists throughout the stagnant winter months when business typically all but freezes.

The goal was to invest in a new product to provide a steady flow of revenue during the off season.

"I have many long-term employees who have families," Patel said. "I wanted to help keep jobs for them during the winter when it slows."

Previously, the hotel maintained around 60 employees.

This year, rather than laying off staff, the water park has generated additional jobs. Currently, Patel employs 100 people and is still hiring.

"What I have brought to town is unique," Patel said. "The water park is something different and a way to increase business."

Not only has the water park improved business at the hotel, it has boosted the number of tourists pouring into local restaurants and stores.

From September to December, the attraction drew around 10,000 more people than usual for that time of year.

"I have been told that business has increased in town due to what we have done here at the Clarion," Patel said.

He first came to Batavia in 2001 with his wife and two sons, buying what was once the Holiday Inn.

While living in Boston, a friend informed him the hotel was for sale and "I was up for the challenge," he said.

In 2004, after a family trip to Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park Resort in Erie, Pa., he was inspired to provide a similar attraction here.

His oldest son was excited about the plans and told his father that "Batavia will finally be on the map. Everyone will know where it is."

After getting bank approval, work began on the project in 2006.

"When we first started, we traveled all over to try different indoor water parks," Patel said. "Our youngest son was our eyes, giving us many ideas through his perspective."

Right now the park is for children 12 years of age and under. Packages are available for overnight guests, and day passes available if rooms aren't sold out.

In a few years, Patel would like to expand another 10,000 square feet. This water park may be just the beginning of things to come.

Heavy black smoke is spewing from a vacant structure at 6553 Ellicott St. Road in Pavilion. They are not sure whether it's coming from the first or second story. Pavilion Fire Department is responding and so is Le Roy's.

UPDATE 12:34 p.m.: A responder on scene reports this is a "controlled burn" -- a rubbish fire, which includes tires, and it's behind the house. The second-alarm responders are told to stand by in quarters-- they include Alexander, Bethany, Stafford and the City of Batavia's Fast Team.

UPDATE 12:37 p.m.: They anticipate being able to "knock this out quickly."

UPDATE 12:43 p.m.: Bethany's tanker is en route, non-emergency mode. Stafford is cancelled. (We presume the city and Alexander are also standing down.) They are going to shut the road to traffic.

UPDATE 12:45 p.m.: "We've got it pretty well knocked down for the most part."

UPDATE 12:54 p.m.: The fire is out.

UPDATE 12:57 p.m.: Le Roy is returning to service.

UPDATE 1:12 p.m.: The road is reopened.

UPDATE 1:16 p.m.: Bethany and Pavilion are back in service. A representative of the Department of Environmental Conservation responded to the scene to investigate and is now leaving.

It was a little crisp this morning, but still a fine spring day. As I walked our dog on Jackson Avenue, I took note of this tree with the nice background of the budding trees behind it and the wispy blue sky, so I went home, grabbed my camera and came back.

That said, there's a chance of rain and snow overnight.