Lewis County

Seeing Double: Twin brothers continue lifelong bond in business

May 31, 2013 By NNYBiz

Identical twins Eric J., left, and Ryan J. Vanderlan take a break from a job off Deer Run in the town of Watertown last month. The Lewis County twins launched their landscaping firm together while in college. In 2007, they incorporated as an LLC as N.V. Landscaping. Norm Johnston/NNY Business

Identical twin brothers Eric J. and Ryan J. Vanderlan graduated from the same high school, the same college and started a landscaping business together, complete with two dump trucks and two trailers.

Even more impressive, they’re still talking to each other.

“We’re pretty laid back,” said Eric, the “older” brother born 10 minutes before Ryan. “We even hang out sometimes on the weekends.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Columns, Lewis County, Small Biz, Small Business Success Tagged With: entrepreneurs, Featured Post, Lewis County, New Vision Landscaping

St. Lawrence and Lewis counties see sales tax increase

April 16, 2013 By NNYBiz

North country counties saw an increase in first-quarter sales tax receipts, with Lewis County seeing a particularly big jump following a return to more typical winter weather.

“I attribute it to the snow,” said Lewis County Treasurer Patricia L. O’Brien, whose county saw a 5.9 percent hike. “We didn’t have snow last year, and this year we did.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Lewis County, Small Biz, St. Lawrence County, Web Exclusives Tagged With: Lewis County, sales tax, St. Lawrence County

Keeping it in the family: Many north country business owners passing the torch to their offspring

April 5, 2013 By NNYBiz

Scott and Kelly Skinner and their daughter, Katie Skinner Youngs, in an aisle at their store. Photo by Amanda Morrison/NNY Business.

Operating a family business can be challenging and rewarding, yet at times, stressful and frustrating.

In many cases, families have to develop some type of “system” that allows them to work together during the day and still be talking to each other at night.

Several north country family businesses have not only made it work, but have been pretty successful at it. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Entrepreneurs, Feature Story, Jefferson County, Lewis County, Region, Small Biz, St. Lawrence County Tagged With: Bach & Co., family business, Featured Post, Hyde-Stone Mechanical Contractors, Mustard See Organic and Natural Food Store, Truesdells

A proud tradition: Fourth generation takes reins at Croghan Meat Market

April 5, 2013 By NNYBiz

John M. Campany and daughter Blaine E. stand behind the meat counter at Croghan Meat Market. Ms. Campany is purchasing the market from her parents, becoming the fourth-generation family member to produce Croghan Bologna. Photo by Justin Sorensen/NNY Business.

One of the north country’s most tightly guarded recipes is now in the hands of a new generation of family at Croghan Meat Market.

Blaine E. Campany, whose great-grandfather, Elmer “Buddy” Campany, purchased the market and the original recipe for Croghan Bologna in 1919, recently took the reins as general manager at the century-old store in the heart of the village’s downtown.

Ms. Campany, 23, is buying the business from her parents, plant owners John M. and Charmaine V. Campany. The move comes at a historic time for the Lewis County favorite as 2013 also is the market’s 125th year in operation, the past 94 by the Campany family. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Entrepreneurs, Lewis County, Small Biz Tagged With: Croghan, Croghan Meat Market, family business, Featured Post, Lewis County

QubicaAMF implements lean manufacturing at Lowville plant

February 20, 2013 By NNYBiz

The QubicaAMF bowling pin plant in Lowville has been implementing lean manufacturing practices over the past year and a half. Photo by Steve Virkler/Watertown Daily Times.

LOWVILLE — While the bowling pins and lanes made at the QubicaAMF plant haven’t gotten leaner over the past year and a half, the manufacturing process has.

Employees at the Utica Boulevard plant, at which most of the world’s wooden bowling pins are manufactured, have been undergoing lean manufacturing training and implementation sessions conducted by CITEC Inc., Potsdam, using Regional Wood Products Consortium funding through the Northern Forest Center in Concord, N.H. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Lewis County, Small Biz Tagged With: Featured Post, Lewis County, Lowville, manufacturing, QubicaAMF

Putting job-seekers to work

November 12, 2012 By NNYBiz

Staffing firms connect the north country with opportunities

Robert J. Penski, owner of Penski Inc., outside his business at 50 Market St. in Potsdam. Photo by Jason Hunter.

The job hunt can be a tedious, yet gratifying, frustrating and fulfilling journey. Sometimes the search for work is in one’s field. Other times, job seekers decide — or are forced — to switch gears and take a completely different path.

Despite the reasons for the hunt, work force firms and staffing agencies are bringing the job search full circle bigger and better than before. Even during an economic downturn, these companies continue to help people and businesses find ways to thrive without enduring major financial challenges.

Third quarter marked by robust tri-county home sales

October 17, 2012 By NNYBiz

Third-quarter residential home sales sizzled in Jefferson and Lewis counties, boosting purchases 12 percent over last year.

In St. Lawrence County, however, single-family home sales through three quarters dropped compared with last year, according to the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. From January through September, 428 homes were sold, a 6 percent drop from last year’s 454. This year’s median price through three quarters was $82,500, up from last year’s $75,000.

From July through September, 388 single-family houses were sold in the two counties through members of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors, up from last year’s 371 during the same period. A total of 911 residential home sales for the region were chalked up from January through September, a 12 percent increase from last year’s 803 sales.

Add value to your investment

October 13, 2012 By NNYBiz

Triple A Building Center employee Randy R. Richards shows Castlerock Paneling to a customer at Triple A Building Center in Massena. Photo by Jason Hunter/NNY Business.

Simple upgrades, quality materials net biggest return

Thinking about installing a garden tub in the bathroom? Forget about it.
Contemplating turning the garage into additional living space? Don’t bother.

When renovating a home, or building a new one, local contractors and real estate agents would agree: make simple upgrades with high-quality materials.

Frontenac sells Jefferson and Lewis delivery routes

October 1, 2012 By NNYBiz

CLAYTON — Frontenac Crystal Springs has sold its delivery routes in Jefferson and Lewis counties to a distributor based in Watertown, Conn.

Frontenac on Friday reached a deal with Crystal Rock Water, which has a regional office in Syracuse, to handle those routes, starting Monday, according to company President Michael A. Colello.

“We want to focus on up north, as well as our bottling operation,” Mr. Colello said Saturday evening.

The move, which has been under consideration for some time, will also serve to recapitalize the business, he said.

USDA-certified slaughterhouses coming soon

September 23, 2012 By NNYBiz

Cathy A. Smith and her husband, Ronald G. Smith, with a turkey Saturday on their farm at 542 County Route 46 in Massena. They plan to have a USDA-certified slaughterhouse to deal with all the birds they raise each year. Photo by Jason Hunter/Watertown Daily Times.

The potential for north country farmers to raise livestock and poultry for sale to restaurants and institutions will improve shortly.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified mobile poultry slaughterhouse is expected to arrive in St. Lawrence County by the end of October. A second USDA-certified poultry slaughterhouse, mostly intended to handle a private flock but which eventually could take in some birds for other farmers, is being built in Massena.

A USDA-certified slaughterhouse for other livestock is in the works to open in the spring in Lewis County.

“I think it’ll be a really good thing for the economy,” said Rachel D. Brandt, who is working with her husband, Jordan D. Brandt, to reopen a long-closed slaughterhouse in Croghan. “In the long run, it’ll help everybody.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Agri Business, Business, Lewis County, Small Biz, St. Lawrence County Tagged With: Featured Post, Lewis County, St. Lawrence County, U.S. Department of Agriculture

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