Business

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.

Press release:

Batavia Development Corporation (BDC) today announced its appointment of Julie Pacatte as the Economic Development Coordinator for the BDC. Ms. Pacatte was selected following a statewide recruitment process.

Ms. Pacatte has been involved with various aspects of economic development for the greater part of 20 years. From 1993-2003, she worked in real estate development in both Florida and Maryland. From 2003-2005, Julie served as the director of external affairs for the Schoharie County, NY, Chamber of Commerce in the Capital District region. From 2006-2010, Julie served as an economic development associate and Empire Zone coordinator for the Schoharie County Industrial Development Agency prior to relocating to Clarence, NY, with her family last year.

BDC President Ray Chaya said, “We are delighted to have Julie join our team. She brings a great deal of experience and background to Batavia and we look forward to working closely with her and other groups in the community to further push the city’s economic development efforts.”

The Batavia Development Corporation is a local development corporation established in 1994 to assist with economic development, redevelopment and job creation efforts within the City of Batavia. Since 2003, the City and BDC have accessed several statewide economic development programs in order to make small business loans and grants locally. As a result, more than $1.3 million has been awarded to 80 small businesses in the city that has leveraged nearly $2.5 million of private investment. Approximately 280 jobs have been created or retained in the last seven years.

“Julie brings a breath of fresh air to our economic development plans for the city. Her experience with communities of similar size to Batavia will be great asset moving forward,” commented BDC Vice President Dan Fischer.

Ms. Pacatte will be focused on administering the city revolving loan funds, assisting with small business development and growth, industrial/mixed use development, downtown growth/revitalization and administering economic development grant programs.

Currently the BDC offers two separate small business loan programs: a loan up to $30,000 to create or retain jobs and a grant/loan program providing up to $10,000 grant/$10,000 loan targeting business owners that are low to moderate income or have at least 51 percent of their employees in the low to moderate income level.

The new economic development coordinator position was funded through a formal partnership between the BDC and the City of Batavia. The partnership between the BDC and the city calls for $90,000 annual budget for a two-year trial period offering a $60,000 salary. The city has contributed $10,000 while the balance of funds are committed from the separate revolving loan program. Ms. Pacatte’s office is located in City Hall on the second floor.

Please contact Julie Pacatte at 345-6380 or visit the Batavia Development Corporation website at www.bataviadevelopmentcorp.org for more information.

It is "Genesee Cash Mob" day at Present Tense Books, on the corner of State and Washington.

The event, organized by Chris Charvella, is designed to encourage local residents to shop at local businesses. Each week -- this is the first week -- people nominate a local business to support for the day by spending at least $10 at the store. Present Tense won the first-round voting.

Rancho Viejo, Batavia's new Mexican restaurant, opened at 11 o'clock today.

Owner Leon Ramirez, right, said he decided to open a restaurant in Batavia because it seemed like a good market and there was no Mexican restaurant in Batavia.

Ramirez completely remodeled the former Ponderosa location on Ellicott Street.

This is Ramirez's fifth location. He also owns Mexican restaurants in Mt. Morris (his home), Cornell, Waterloo and Fairport.

"I invite everybody down to give us a try," Ramirez said. "I promise them very real Mexican food."

Pictured with Ramirez is Jonathan Martinez.

An idea born in Buffalo to promote locally owned businesses has spread to Genesee County.

It's called "Cash Mob."

The idea is to use social networking sites to organize local residents around one day of supporting a specific local business.

People nominate locally owned businesses using Facebook, Twitter or on a form on the WNYMedia.Net site. On Wednesdays, the business with the most votes is announced and a day is announced for supporters of the "Cash Mob" descend on the business and spend from $10 to $20.

The first time it was tried in Buffalo two weeks ago, a local win shop had 40 extra customers and more than $2,000 in revenue.

"It’s about generating excitement to shop locally," said Chris Chravella, who organized the Genesee Cash Mob. "We want people to have a fun reason to spend money in the community instead of (going to another local to spend money)."

People who want to vote can do so through on Twitter (send message to @GeneseeCashMob), Facebook or this WNYMedia.Net post.

Only businesses with local or regional owners will be considered. National chains and franchises are out.

Charvella said he hopes the "Cash Mob" idea (the brainchild of Chris Smith, from Buffalo) will help raise awareness of local businesses and help people maybe discover the benefits of a particular shop that they never visited before.

"Any time you can keep dollars in the community, it's a good thing," Charvella said. "Any time you can boost the local economy, it's a good thing. You cannot go wrong spending money at the place down the street."

Downtown Batavia can support a supermarket and a group of businessmen who have done the marketing research to prove it have entered into a lease agreement to open a Save-A-Lot in the former Latina's location on Ellicott Street.

The new store will be 18,000 square feet.

"These guys have really got their heads straight," said Vito Gautieri, the building's owner. "We were looking at another chain, but this one looked like the best deal. I think it will be really good for Downtown Batavia."

The Gautieri's own Washington Towers and Vito said the family recognized the need to bring a supermarket downtown, both for the sake of tenants at Washington Towers and also 400 Towers.

"We really need a supermarket downtown," Gautieri said.

In fact, said Gautieri, the family decided to pass on an offer from a discount retail chain that would have filled all 40,000 square feet of the building because the need seems so great to bring a supermarket to the space.

The ownership group, operating locally as Batavia Food, Inc., has three other Save-A-Lot locations. The other stores are in Wheatland, Salamanca and Bradford, Pa.

Save-a-Lots operates as a kind of co-op of locally licensed stores. The new owners of the planned Batavia store have no affiliation with the owners of the Le Roy Save-A-Lot.

Gautieri said the owners of the Le Roy store were given first crack at the Batavia location, but for some reason a deal couldn't be put together.

Now Gautieri and his son, Vic, need to work on getting a tenant for the remaining 22,000 square feet on the first floor. He said they already have a couple of solid leads on possible tenants.

Gautieri is still working on ideas about what to do with the second floor. The space is currently 15,000 square feet, but because the building was constructed to support warehouse space on the second floor, the second floor roof could be raised and the area expanded to 25,000 square feet.

If Gautieri decides to expand the second floor, the space would either become premium office space or residential apartments.

Even though there are some finishing touches left yet for the new patio at South Beach, the grill is open. Chef Arvin Ortiz opened the grill today with an offering of hamburgers, hot dogs and pulled pork. Throughout the remainder of the summer, the grill will be opened for lunch and dinner this weekend and, for now, lunch during the week. At times the menu will include ribs, chicken and other grilled dishes. Menu service from the main kitchen is also available on the patio. This afternoon, starting at 4, there will be live music on the patio, and the Ghost Riders play starting at 8 p.m., Saturday.

As part of a nationwide strike by 45,000 Verizon workers, there are pickets in place outside the Verizon office in Batavia that spans Jackson and Center streets.

Pictured above are Tom Pacia, of Rochester, Darrin Folger, of Akron, Kirk Myhill, of Medina, and Dave Martin, of Batavia.

O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc., is receiving $204,000 in tax abatements through the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GDEDC) for an expansion at its facility at 700 Ellicott St., Batavia.

O-AT-KA intends to build a two-story dairy processing facility for producing dairy-based beverages and "ultra-filtered" milk ingredients. The project summary reads, "The additional dairy batch blend capacity allows more dairy-based products to be manufactured at O-AT-KA for shipment both nationally as well as exports."

Both projects would use milk produced exclusively in New York. O-AT-KA is receiving sales-tax exemption on construction material of $204,000. The estimated 10-year return on investment into the local economy is $21.2 million.

Graham Corp., of 20 Florence Ave., Batavia, is receiving a tax abatement of $125,906, through the GCEDC for the addition of a 10,000-square-foot sandblasting and painting building. Graham is receiving an $89,088 property-tax exemption (PILOT) and a sales-tax exemption on building materials of $36,818. The estimated 10-year economic impact is $89.8 million

Marktec Products, Inc., has been approved by the GCEDC for $57,109 in tax abatements for relocation to the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. Marktec, owned by Bill Cox, will build a 5,002-square-foot building on two acres of land in the park. The company will receive a property-tax exemption (a 60 percent PILOT) of $32,739, a sales-tax exemption on building material of $18,800 and a mortgage-tax exemption of $5,570. The project is expected to retain four jobs and create two new jobs. The estimated return on investment over 10 years for the local economy is $2.45 million.

Molasses Hill Bulk Foods is relocating from the Village of Alexander to a building on Ellicott Street.

Owner Shannon Harder said she hopes the new site will be open on Aug. 9.

Harder said moving was a simple business decision. While she had a core group of loyal customers in Alexander, there just weren't enough to sustain the business. She's hoping the bigger customer base of Batavia will help generate the kind of revenue she needs to stay open.

She also pointed out that the outside of the building (formerly Time Bomb Tattoo) will be repainted.

Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer met with a group of business leaders at GCC this morning to provide an update on the recently completed legislative session in Albany and get feedback on issues of concern to local business.

Ranzenhofer opened with a talk highlighting the on-time budget that closed a $10 billion deficit with no tax increases and the first reduction in state spending in 15 years.

When the discussion opened, participants raised issues about the number of school districts in Genesee County, tourism grants, as well as Albany's seemingly less hostile attitude toward business and services provided by local government.

Jim Fulmer, CEO of the Bank of Castile and a former Le Roy School Board trustee, expressed concern about duplicative administrative services in the county's nine school districts.

"At some point, somebody will need to absolutely need to take a hold of this issue and deal with it," Fulmer said. "This has the potential to make some fundamental change in our tax structure."

Ranzenhofer said the governor and Senate are absolutely committed to making such fundamental changes in the structure of local governance.

Jeff Boshart, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce board and president of Boshart Enterprises, asked whether the state would continue to fund grants for promotion of tourism in the county, which he said is essential to attracting visitors from all over the region.

A year ago, when the grants were not funded, Ranzenhofer said it wasn't because the money wasn't available, rather it was spent on other priorities, adding, "priorities I didn't vote for or support."

He said the money would continue to be available so long as the legislature made it a priority.

In a statement that seemed to allude to the recent controversy in Le Roy over the fate of that community's public pool, Jerry McCullough (pictured, inset), representing the Le Roy Business Council, the Rotary Club and his own business, expressed concern about local governments using the recently approved property tax cap as an excuse to cut services.

"They're hiding behind the tax cap and cutting things that young families would enjoy," McCullough said. "They're cutting things that would bring young families to our community and help our business community. We're left with a lot of nothing and it's still costing us the same amount of money."

Ranzenhofer said as a person who owns a business located in a village, he understands the importance of village services that improve the business environment.

"I’ve seen first hand what a beautification project will do, what a sidewalk project will do, what a facade project will do, what a light project will do," the senator said. "I think these projects help improve the business climate."

Whether state grants are made available to help with such projects, Ranzenhofer said, depends on what priorities the governor and legislature set in future budgets.

Also attending were: Craig Alexander, O-AT-KA Milk; Allan Davis, Liberty Pumps; Jerry Kozowski, BEST Center; Rachael Tabelski (formerly Millspaugh), GCEDC; Steve Hyde, GCEDC; and Katie White, Le Roy Business Council.