chamber of commerce

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce welcomed Ashley Mooney, DDS, as one of the newest businesses to open locally on Wednesday.

Mooney's new office is at 214 East Main St., Suite #1, Batavia.

Photo by Marc Tillery/WBTA

Press Release:

The Chamber’s Annual Awards Committee has announced the “2024” Annual Award Ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Batavia Downs Gaming, Park Road, Batavia. This is the County’s premier event that honors businesses and individuals for their achievements in business, community service, and volunteerism.

Please note that a brief write-up will qualify your nominee for consideration. Nominations are now being accepted for Business of the Year, Entrepreneurial Business of the Year, Agricultural Business of the Year, Innovative Enterprise of the Year, Special Service Recognition & Geneseeans of the Year. Business Nominees must be a Chamber Member (If unsure of your nominee, call the Chamber to verify).

Nomination forms are available at the Chamber of Commerce office, 8276 Park Road, Batavia, and can also be downloaded from the Chamber Website at www.geneseeny.com.

Nominations MUST BE RECEIVED BY December 13 to be eligible for consideration.

If you would like more information, feel free to call or email Kelly J. Bermingham, Director of Member Relations & Special Events at the Chamber office, 343-7440, ext. 1026, kbermingham@geneseeny.com.

Proceeds from the sale of a children's book developed by the Chamber of Commerce --  “Genny Sees the Eclipse” -- will help feed rescue animals and even enable a couple of sanctuaries to give a couple of horses a safe place to retire.

On Tuesday, Brian Cousins, president of the Chamber, presented $28,653.56 to Jonell Chudyk, Mockingbird Farm Sanctuary; Marcy Colantonio, Volunteers for Animals; Maryanne Arena, Mary Land Haven for Horses; Pamela Harmon, Cherry Hill Sanctuary.

Each organization is receiving  $7,163.39.

"This is truly life-changing," said Chudyk. "I know for us from Mockingbird Farm Sanctuary, that amount, that total amount, will pay for the amount of hay that we need through winter. So thank you so much."

Harmon said the $7,000 would help Cherry Hill rescue more horses, and Arena, at Mary Land, said her rescue for retired racehorses would be able to add two horses to its stable.

"It may sound like, 'Oh, two horses,' but that means two lives saved," Arena said.

The book was produced to educate children about the April 8 total eclipse of the sun in Genesee County.  The chamber received orders from 28 states -- including Hawaii -- and 165 cities.  Forbes named it one of the best five books for people to buy to learn more about the eclipse.

It was written by Colleen Onuffer and illustrated by Andy Reddout.

"We talked to the agriculture community, and we talked with the scientific community to make sure the book was true to life," Cousins said. "Then we thought about how we could commemorate this book to our community, and we thought of you and your selfless devotion to these animals. If you take a look at the book, you will see each one of the animals that you take care of day in and day out are represented in that book." 

These are photos from Saturday's Genesee County Home Show, which the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce hosted and organized.

The final day of the home show is Sunday (today), and it runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday's show was well attended, and about a dozen new vendors, plus many of the usual locally owned home improvement-related vendors, were on the floor of the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Genesee County's agriculture community came together at the Alexander Fire Hall on Saturday for the Celebration of Ag Dinner, with more than 300 people in attendance.

This was the 20th year for the event.

The Cupicha Family Farm of Bethany was this year's Conservation Farm of the Year.

The award recognizes farms that are good stewards of the land.  

Third-generation farmer Mark Cupicha completed numerous projects to mitigate erosion and maintain the health of the soil on his 405-acre farm, which consists of steep and sloping land in the Black Creek and Little Tonawanda watersheds.

Cupicha couldn't thank Jared Elliot and the Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District team enough for helping maintain the health of his land, always answering his calls, and coming out to the field.

"If you take care of the soil, the soil takes care of you," said Cupicha.

The meal, prepared by Chef Tracy Burgio and her staff, consisted of beef, chicken, corn fritters, maple-glazed carrots, and roasted potatoes, most of which were donated by local farms in attendance. 

Representative Claudia Tenney, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, and Senator George Borrello were in attendance to extend their thanks to the Cupicha family farm for being great stewards of the land.

People’s lives that changed the course of either a business, farm, nonprofit, museum or volunteer efforts all experienced the common and perhaps obvious but poignant theme of having a beginning early on in their journeys, Chamber of Commerce President Brian Cousins says.

He noted that during Saturday’s Chamber Awards ceremony. Each of the award recipients, no matter their passion and involvement or cause, were connected by the phrase “it started when,” Cousins said.

Alabama Hotel’s 15 minutes of national fame in December 2022 started when owner Bonnie Woodward and manager Joe Bradt opened their doors and hearts to 120 strangers during a blizzard that stranded out-of-town motorists and only further bolstered a decades-long track record of steadfast hard work, employee contributions and good business sense.

Offhaus Farms’ growth and sustainability started when family members joined the effort, and one by one, it strengthened the business as it mushroomed from 45 cows in 1959 to 1,400 cows and 27 dedicated workers today.

The journey of Volunteers For Animals started 40 years ago when people who were determined to care for the needs of those who couldn’t speak up for themselves gained strength in numbers and purpose to become true to their namesake by working tirelessly for four-legged friends.

Holland Land Office Museum stepped into the spotlight, not as a relic of ho-hum antiquity but as an exciting new chapter in Genesee County’s history, which started when Executive Director Ryan Duffy and Curator Tyler Angora viewed it through fresh eyes and perspectives with new exhibits, programs and speakers.

Michelle Gillard’s ability to effect real change in this community started when she herself saw the need was great and that she had the ability to help and to rally others into action as well, rather than depend on someone else to get the job done. 

In other words, while for each of these award recipients, there's a success story to be told, it all started with a need to be filled, and they filled it. 

“Supporting them and highlighting their journeys is what the Chamber of Commerce is all about,” Cousins said during the 52nd ceremony at Batavia Downs. “I’d like to challenge each of us to soak in each honoree’s story. Each is truly humbling; it’s what makes the backbone of our county.”

The recipients each offer a drive, passion and determination that has not only made their own endeavors successful but also created another stellar lineup of award honorees, he said. 

For anyone who hasn’t attended an awards ceremony, the pride and support of the audience were palpable. A packed room of more than 300 attendees participated in an evening of videos illustrating what each recipient has accomplished and how they all interact with the community, and watched humility unfold as recipients accepted their award. 

History flowed throughout the evening about the origins of each business and organization, with the oldest one cited as the Holland Land Office property, established by Joseph Ellicott in 1815. 

While many folks may enjoy the glitz and glam of the Oscars and Emmys, this event is a local Academy Award for people doing good in their own community’s backyard. The story of each one is listed below. All recipients thanked family, friends, community members, and/or those who nominated them, and there were challenges made as well.

In her closing remarks, Gillard quoted Mahatma Gandhi, who used nonviolent resistance to lead a successful campaign for India’s independence from British rule and asked each of the attendees to consider her appeal. 

“Gandhi once said ‘the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’ Prior to volunteering, I often felt something was missing from my life without really knowing what it was. Acts of service, kindness to others, it will fill your life and your soul in a way that you never imagined,” she said. “I challenge each of you to find a cause or an organization that speaks to you and dedicate your time there. While we're all busy giving, our time is one of the greatest gifts that we can offer. I assure you, it is also a gift you are giving to yourself. Imagine the positive impact we could create in our community if each person in this room spent an hour or two volunteering each month and encouraging others to do the same.”

Here are the award recipients' stories:

• Offhaus Farms
• Holland Land Office Museum
• Alabama Hotel
• Volunteers For Animals
• Michelle Gillard

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Batavia's Goodwill store at 4152 West Main St. celebrated its expansion Friday morning with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

The expansion doubled the thrift store's retail space and added a covered drive-up donation center.

Goodwill has operated at its current location since May 2013 and has been expanded from 9,285 to 21,506 square feet and now has 18 full- and part-time employees.

Goodwill officials say the location is now one of the agency's largest in Western New York.  It features an open layout allowing it to expand space for donated men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing. The store also features a broad array of previously owned housewares, decorative items, small appliances, electronics, and furniture.  

“With individuals and families looking for ways to cut their clothing and household budgets, we are proud to be able to expand our offerings in Batavia,” said Thomas Ulbrich, Goodwill of Western New York president and CEO, in a statement. “We serve a very wide range of customers from all across Genesee County, and we are proud to be a resource for families in such a great community.”

The drive-up donation center is on the side of the building facing Main Street and offers donors a quick and convenient -- and covered -- way to donate gently used, unwanted items to the store to support workforce development programs across the region.

The story is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Press release:

If you are wondering what all the fuss is about with the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, the Chamber of Commerce has planned an exciting (and free) opportunity for you to learn more and get ready for the Total Solar Eclipse of April 8, chamber staff member Kelly Rapone says. 

Gene Gordon of NASA HUNCH will provide a community presentation and answer your questions during a one-hour information session that is being hosted from 5 to 6 p.m. Jan. 9 by Eli Fish Brewing Company at 109 Main St. in Batavia. 

Call Eli Fish at 585-343-0008 to reserve your seating by Jan. 4. Seating is limited with reservations in advance.

Arrive by 5 p.m., as the presentation will begin promptly at 5:15 p.m.

Plan to stick around after the presentation for dinner!  Eli Fish will be offering eclipse-themed food and drink specials, Rapone said. All ages are welcome, and Genny the eclipse mascot will also be on site for photo opportunities.

Gene Gordon taught science in the Rochester area for more than 30 years, eventually creating a NASA research class that led to his students creating projects that would fly to the International Space Station. 

Gordon has flown on board NASA’s Zero-G plane twice, and he used that experience to help others understand the world around them. He became the president of the Science Teachers Association of New York State in 2015, where he took part in the creation of the new science standards. 

This year he received the 2023 Margaret Ashida STEM Leadership Award as well as the highest honor in STANYS, by being named a STANYS Fellow.

Although he retired from teaching in 2018, he joined NASA HUNCH as the New York State mentor, and dreams of having students from all over New York State designing and building things for space, Rapone said. 

Visit GeneSEEtheEclipse.com for more information on the upcoming eclipse.

After approving a new slate of directors for the board, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce members heard a recap of a busy 2022 from Chamber President Brian Cousins.

The year started with the annual awards banquet at Batavia Downs, attended by more than 300 people. That was followed by the Celebrate Ag Dinner in Alexander, attended by more than 400 people. After that, chamber staff got busy hosting the annual Home Show at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena in Batavia.  During the summer, the chamber hosted its annual golf and bocce ball tournament. In the fall, there was the annual Decision Makers Ag Tour.

And then there were ribbon cuttings.  Lots and lots of ribbon cuttings. There are always ribbon cuttings.

"We get requests all the time for business openings, business milestones -- Tom Turnbull (former chamber president) always taught -- and this was probably the best thing ever taught me -- that everyone always loves a good ribbon cutting," Cousins said. And it's true. A lot of people did a ton of good things in the community this year. I'm very proud of our ability to go out and support them. We probably literally had one to two requests a week. Sometimes we had two a day."

Cousins also praised the monthly Business After Hours, held at a different Chamber member location each time, as a great way to network and form important if not lasting business connections.

All of those big events return in 2024:

• Chamber Awards, March 2.
• Celebrate Ag Dinner, March 16
• Home Show, in March
• Gold and Bocce, at Terry Hills this year on July 18
• Decision Maker's Ag Tour, being planned, date to be determined

And one of the highlights, surely, if the weather cooperates, of 2024 will be the viewing of the eclipse on April 8.  

The chamber's Tourism Bureau has been preparing for months -- there have been 50 meetings, 15 in-person talks, several monthly Zoom sessions, and "Jenny," the cow mascot, has made numerous public appearances.

And 2023 has been a good year for tourism, Cousins said.

"We are going to have a record year in terms of visitor spending into our county -- upwards of about $209 million total, sustaining about $65 million in tourism payroll. It's amazing," Cousins said.

New members of the Chamber board of directors:

• Mickey Hyde, immediate past chair
• Kristina Raff, with Nortera
• Mark Brooks, with Tompkins
• Michael Battaglia, Prudential
• Megan Palone, Oliver's Candies
• Jocelyn Sikorski, Cornell Cooperative Extension
• Jeremy Liles, Oliver's Candies.

The new board chairman is John Whiting of the Whiting Law Firm.

Press Release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Annual will be hosting its Annual Membership Meeting on Nov. 16 at Terry Hills Golf Course & Banquet Facility, 5122 Clinton Street, Batavia. Registration begins at 11:30 am, and Buffet Lunch begins promptly at Noon, cost is $25 per person.

The Agenda for the Meeting will be a review of 2023, a look ahead into 2024 & Election of 2024 Chamber Board Members. To register directly online visit the Chamber’s Website www.geneseeny.com or call Kelly B. at 585-343-7440, ext. 1026. Deadline for registration is Nov. 10.

Press Release:

Plans are already underway for the 20th Annual Celebrate Agriculture Dinner which will take place on Saturday, March 16 at 6 p.m. at the Alexander Fire Hall. This annual event is a celebration of Genesee County’s #1 Industry, Agriculture!

The highlight of the night is a delicious meal using locally produced foods prepared by the Culinary Arts Students from the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center. Let by Chef Alberto Santos and Denise Kaus, Culinary Arts teacher aide, this will be the third year of this perfect collaboration between the Chamber’s Agricultural Committee & Culinary Arts Program. The dinner is open to the public.

Tickets go on sale Dec. 4 at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, 8276 Park Road, Batavia. Tickets are $30 each or a table of 10 can be purchased for $275.

Sponsorships are also available which help support agriculture educational events in Genesee County. Only 400 tickets will be sold. Tickets must be purchased by February 24, 2024. For more information or to download the registration flyer visit the
Chamber’s Website www.geneseeny.com.

The Celebrate Ag Dinner is coordinated by the following partners: Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District and Genesee County Farm Bureau. 

Sponsors of the 2023 celebration included: Alleghany Farm Services, Arctic Refrigeration, Baskin Livestock, Inc., Batavia Muckdogs, Carolina Eastern Crocker, CPL, Farm Credit East. ACA, Farm Family Insurance, Fieldstone Private Wealth, Freed Maxick CPA, Junction Motor Freight, L&M Specialty Fabrications, LLC, Lamb Farms, LandPro Equipment, Lawley, L-Brooke Farms, LLC, Monroe Tractor, My-T Acres, National Grid, OXBO International, Perry Veterinary Clinic, Sackett Farms, Torrey Farms, Western New York Energy, LLC, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. William Kent, Inc. and Windy Acres
Farm. 

Farms and businesses that donated locally grown food for the 2023 dinner included: Dorman Farms, Farm Fresh First, Inc/Nortera Foods, Fenton’s Produce, Harrington’s Produce, SJ Starowitz Farms, Torrey Farms, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc., Kreher Family Farms, Daves Ice Cream, Doug & Peggy Torrey, Yancey’s Fancy. 

For ticket information or questions contact the Kelly B. at The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, 585-343-7440 or kbermingham@geneseeny.com.

Mother nature teed up a perfect Chamber of Commerce kind of day at the Stafford Country Club for the chamber's annual golf and bocce ball tournament.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release:

The Annual Celebrate Agriculture Dinner took place on March 25, at the Alexander Fire Hall. This event is held every year to celebrate Genesee County's leading industry, agriculture. The highlight of the evening was a delicious meal featuring locally produced foods prepared by the Culinary Arts Students from the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center. 

The collaboration between the Chamber's Agricultural Committee and the Culinary Arts Program, led by Chef Tracy Burgio and Denise Kaus, was a success. The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce approached Chef Tracy Burgio to cater the dinner, knowing that it would be a culinary challenge eagerly embraced by her students she happily accepted. The dinner was open to the public.

The Celebrate Ag Dinner is organized by various partners, including the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District, and Genesee County Farm Bureau. Local farms and businesses donated food grown in the county for the dinner. Chef Burgio, along with the Culinary Arts students, worked together to plan and practice the menu, which featured food products sourced from Genesee County farmers.

"Seeing the students flawlessly produce the meal, with as many attendees that were present was incredible. The operation was not only impressive, the meal was absolutely delicious and highly memorable.  We are thankful for Chef Tracy and Denise, as well as all of our local partners that made the event possible.  Without their support and the food donations, this event could not happen.  A well done collaborative effort for those in our Agricultural community, leaders in education, and students in the culinary arts,” said Genesee County Chamber of Commerce President Brian Cousins.

On June 1, representatives from the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce will visit the Batavia CTE Center to meet with the Culinary Arts students, Chef Burgio, and Kaus. During the visit, they will present a check to the Culinary Art Club as a token of appreciation.

It's been less than four weeks since a fire in the firing range at The Firing Pin on Buffalo Road in Bergen nearly shut the business down.

But it isn't shut down.

A sign of that was owner Brandon Lewis and his staff hosting an After Hours event for the Chamber of Commerce -- an event that had been scheduled before the fire.

Lewis saw no reason to cancel it.

His 7,500 square-foot retail space and indoor firing range are gutted, but he rented a mobile firing range and converted a 500 square-foot storage area and studio into a new retail space, so the Firing Pin Remains open to take care of its customers, conduct classes, and keep everything going while he works out recovery details with his insurance carrier.

"It's been an adjustment, but we're making the most of it," Lewis said. "Obviously, if it were up to me, we'd already be half rebuilt already. But, you know, we're working within the limitations that we've got. I couldn't be more thankful for my team. You know, I couldn't imagine where we'd be without their efforts."

Previously: Three days after devastating fire, owner of The Firing Pin looking ahead

Photos by Howard Owens: Top photo, Brandon Lewis and his daughter Emmie.

Kelly Bermingham, membership director for the Chamber, with a cookie made for the chamber event featuring The Firing Pin logo.

John Huther, director for training at The Firing Pin, inside the mobile firing range.

It's going to be warm outside this weekend so if you need a break from the unseasonable heat, Chamber of Commerce President Brian Cousins has a suggestion -- come on down to the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena for the 2023 Home Show.

"I know it's a great weekend," Cousins said. "The weather this weekend is awesome, which is unheard of in April -- you get 80-degree weather. But you know, the inside of the Ice Arena is a little bit cooler than outside. It's like natural air conditioning in here. So it's very comfortable for people. I'm looking forward to seeing as many people can come out do so to work on their to-do lists."

This is the first home show for Cousins as chamber president, and he's excited to see it off to a good start.  All of the vendor booths are full, and the chamber even had potential vendors trying to sign up for booths on Friday morning.

Admission is $3 for adults, and hours Saturday are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

"Make a list," Cousins said, "check it twice when you're out sitting on your deck or something this weekend, then make a quick trip out, spend an hour to get some different ideas and things that you wanted to do over the course of the last two, three years, especially over the COVID time period when you couldn't get somebody to help you out with things."

Photos by Howard Owens