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State of Manufacturing: Obstacles, Opportunites

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By James A. D’Agostino, CEO, MEP Center Director

I do not need to remind anyone that the past year was incredibly challenging. A global pandemic and shifting politics were just a couple of the dynamics facing businesses across all industries, including manufacturing. As we emerge from the various shutdowns and restrictions, manufacturing is booming across many key indexes, but manufacturers face a precarious path forward if they intend to not only survive but grow. A path filled with pitfalls and dangers, but one also filled with promise and opportunity.

Obstacles

The global pandemic revealed a hidden issue for many manufacturers: a fractured and overly dependent supply chain. Across the world, we all saw the fragility in our supply chains for critical PPE supplies, military defense components, and raw materials. Years of outsourcing and the pursuit of savings in lower cost countries finally caught up with our nation and revealed the massive void that currently exists. Manufacturers continue to scramble in an effort to obtain necessary raw materials in what seems like a rolling supply chain blackout.

In addition to the fractured supply chains, the past year has also exacerbated a major workforce issue for manufacturers. Despite the increased number of unfilled manufacturing jobs compared to pre-pandemic levels, manufacturers are now competing with fast food businesses and other non-manufacturers for labor. Long-time employees are contemplating resignations and retirements, and first-time employees are faced with an abundance of openings. Manufacturers are having to enhance recruiting and retention programs like never before. On top of all that, the past year has intensified a growing workforce skill gap for manufacturers.  This skill gap is not only threatening manufacturing competitiveness, but it is also creating unwanted shakiness in an economy that is looking to rebound quickly from the global pandemic. Along with high retirement rates, this skill gap is being fueled by mismatched training programs and recruiting shortages.

And if all of that was not enough, the past year exposed many outdated manufacturing technologies and processes that are ill-equipped to provide the necessary boost that companies desperately need for survival and recovery. With a reduced workforce, antiquated machines and processes are not able to run efficiently. Sounds kind of like the perfect manufacturing storm….

Opportunities

With all the challenges facing manufacturers in today’s tumultuous world, the outlook is not all bleak. Each of the aforementioned obstacles represents an important opportunity for manufacturers, and one that can provide a competitive advantage and help define their future success. The fractured supply chains have created a resurgence for “Made in America” products. How will manufacturers respond? Will they reshore products to rebuild their supply chains and help boost local economies? The various workforce challenges have heightened the need for human resources. Will manufacturers respond by further developing their employees, raising wages, and creating more holistic work environments that aim for better attraction and retention? Will manufacturers better define workforce needs and work with training institutions and organizations to develop a robust and sufficient talent pipeline? The myriad workforce challenges have also heightened the need for technology and innovation. Will manufacturers upgrade equipment and processes to better compete with countries that have lower labor costs? Will they invest in new cutting-edge technologies that allow their businesses to innovate and grow?

The next several months will define the future for many manufacturers, whether they realize it now or not. As someone who has spent their entire professional career in manufacturing, I can say without hesitation that manufacturers are more than equipped to navigate the uncertain times ahead. I am confident that those businesses who do invest in their people, processes, equipment, and reshoring will not only experience personal success, but they will also lend a hand to this country’s post-pandemic renaissance.

For more information on how TDO can help you capitalize on key strategic opportunities to move your manufacturing processes forward, please contact: James A. D’Agostino; (315) 425-5144, Ext. 306; jim@tdo.org;  or visit online at TDO.org.

The Changing Face of Risk and What it Means for your Business

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By: Pierre Morrisseau, CEO, OneGroup

I don’t have to tell you how fast the world seems to be changing, and how novel risks seem to crop up and add yet more challenges to businesses.

There are many reasons for the increasing complexity of managing risk: Increased litigation, consolidation of insurance carriers, expanding regulatory environment, inflation, advancing technology, changing weather patterns—and the list goes on.

A question our clients often ask is, “How do we get ahead of all of these risks and the cost to protect ourselves?” While there is no one answer or simple solution because each company’s risks differ greatly, I always tell them to begin by eliminating as much risk as possible, put a solid risk management plan in place, and work with experts to finance your biggest risks.

While you can’t eliminate all risk, auditing your risks can reveal a clearer picture of what can be eliminated, and how best to focus your capital. Some risks can be self-insured while other risks can leverage insurance or other risk financing tools to help you manage bottom line costs. In addition, building a solid risk management plan also provides insurance carriers with the evidence that you are serious about managing risk, thus helping underwriters to work in your favor.

As companies look to out-perform their peers in highly competitive markets, it means moving faster, being innovative, taking on expansion including increased hiring—all of which, by default, increases risk. So, the only way for them to succeed is having better risk management. In fact, with the right help from risk management experts, risk management becomes an essential tool to increase your competitive position. It can help your company go on the offensive instead of simply being a cost to defend itself.

Something you seldom here when speaking of risk management is the impact your company culture has on the occurrence and cost of risk. Here again, taking the time to audit risk and create a risk management plan offers you the ability to create a risk communication and implementation plan. Building risk awareness and risk avoidance into your business culture may be the most impactful step you can take in controlling the impact of risk on your organization. Setting clear guidelines and goals is a critical step. Equally important is ongoing education, measurement and periodic review. Often, companies fall down in these areas due to lack of priority or lack of time and resources. This is where it is critical to work with a competent risk management team to keep you on track. The cost most often more than pays for itself and ensures you the best competitive outcome.

For example, my firm supports companies across all industries and at every size. We see companies whose executives view risk management as an expense to be avoided while others embrace managing risk as a strategic opportunity to give them a competitive edge and enhance their sustainable growth. These firms consistently work to understand their risks in human capital, operations, technology, financial and environmental, the latter of which we are seeing increased demand for as we open our operations in South Carolina and Florida where environmental risk is creating substantial volatility and cost.

The bottom line for businesses today is one of leveraging risk management to your advantage. Using it to support your bottom line is the far smarter thing to do.

Words to Lead By

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By: Robert J. Corona, DO, MBA, CEO, Upstate University Hospital

What makes us seek words of wisdom? For years I’ve jotted down quotes that inspire me from all sorts of sources. Some have become part of my regular conversation; others have made their way into the way I frame my approach to work and life.

In one of my first presentations as hospital CEO, I featured the quote often used by Bréne Brown who wrote Dare to Lead. In it she advocates an approach to bring a “strong back, soft front, and a wild heart” to our work. I thought it was particularly resonant for a hospital environment and it used six strong words for what otherwise could have taken a much longer time to convey.  After that talk, I heard from more than one person how much they liked that quote and immediately understood what it meant.

Research shows that people are attracted to succinct descriptions, especially if they have a rhythm or cadence. In addition to making a point more memorable, other reasons the right quote can work: it provides an additional boost of wisdom from people who have achieved or gone before. Those sources can bring authority, reassurance or insights on a topic. For me, the right quote crystallizes my wider ranging thoughts.

While not everyone is drawn to personal mantras, in my leadership roles I’ve noticed most people have at least one. Those can become a shorthand to how someone will approach a problem or how they treat others. More than once I’ve heard colleagues cite, “the obstacle is the way” (shortened from the statement from the stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius who said,

The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”) We can infer that they see the obstacle in a more nuanced form — and even something to learn from — than simply a barrier to push aside.

In addition to condensing a call to action or signaling intention, the right words can have motivating power. Early in the pandemic, handmade signs with encouraging messages started popping up in the hospital to lift the spirits of our front-line workers. Our President at Upstate started an online place for people to share their favorite quotes, and suggestions poured in. It provided needed place to share words of comfort and resilience. Those statements — some tried and true, others newly minted from the employees themselves — provided assurance that others had passed through challenges, and emerged.

As much as I enjoy them, I use quotes selectively, bringing out only one or two at a time as they fit the circumstances. Overuse can make great thoughts seem trite, and they should amplify not replace your own reflections. Over the years, my personal collection of favorite quotes includes these gems, each of which provides some great advice, should we take it.

  • Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.—Eleanor Roosevelt

 

  • Be the person who leaves a mark, not a scar. — Unknown

 

  • The person stating ‘it cannot be done’ shouldn’t interrupt the person doing it. — Unknown

On the wall of my office, this quote by author and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes is literally part of the wallpaper: Once the mind is expanded by imagination, it never reverts back to its original dimension. A daily reminder that it is so important that we stretch our minds, and keep growing.

Robert J. Corona DO, MBA, is CEO of Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, NY.  Previous roles at Upstate include Chief Innovation Officer and Associate Dean for Industry and Academic Relations, and the endowed chair for the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He also served for many years as chief medical officer and vice president of Medical and Scientific Affairs at Welch Allyn Inc.

The Fischer Group at Graystone Consulting

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By Sarah Hall

Pictured left to right; Marc Fischer (Managing Director, Wealth Management), Mark Caropreso (SVP, Institutional Consultant), Adam Brady (Institutional Consulting Analyst), Chad Jacob (institional Consultant), Theresa Kenyon (Portfolio Associate), Elizabeth McCarthy (Institutional Consulting Ananlyst), Heather Warne-Hopkins (Institutional Consulting Analyst), Samantha Maley (Instituional Consulting Relationship Manager), Thomas Thaney (Institutional Consultant), Melanie Lugo (Registered CSA), Michael Valenti (SVP, Institutional Consultant)

Marc Fischer (Managing Director, Wealth Management)

Mark Caropreso (SVP, Institutional Consultant

In the 30 years that The Fischer Group at Graystone Consulting has been providing financial services, a lot has changed.

“[When] we came into this industry 30 years ago, we were stockbrokers,” said Mark Caropreso, the firm’s senior vice president. “The goal of the job was a sales job and the idea was to talk to your clients about logical investments. But over time, the role is much more of a really of a consultative role. The consultant has become more of an asset manager.”

Clients used to want more control over their stock portfolios, Caropreso said. Now, however, they’ll come to financial advisors with a broader idea of their financial needs and sometimes hand over the reins.

“The biggest change in my 30 years is discretion, the discretion and the responsibility,” he said. “Years ago, clients really wanted ideas and they pick and choose which ones they wanted to take. The industry has moved [toward] implementation and a discretionary role where we set goals and objectives and then implement the strategy, often saving priceless investment and Trustee decision making time.”

If you’re putting your financial future in someone’s hands, you won’t find hands much more capable than those of the Fischer Group. In 1991, Marc Fischer was one of the original 25 members that would eventually form Graystone Consulting. Today his titles include Managing Director, Institutional Consulting Director, Alternative Investments Director, and Financial Advisor.  As a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, Graystone Consulting offers a more personalized investment experience to strictly institutional and very high net worth investors that still provides the benefits of the global financial firm. Founded by Marc Fischer, the team includes six consultants, three analysts, two portfolio associates, and one marketing/relationship ambassador, working together to understand the unique investment needs of high net worth and institutional clients alike.  The group operates out of two brick and mortar locations in the state—one in Rochester and one in Latham.

Fischer himself, the group’s director has been in the financial industry since 1988. A Rochester native, he graduated with honors from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor’s degree in business management and earned CIMA designation from the Wharton School at the University Pennsylvania in 1994. Notably, his Fischer Group was recently named by Barron’s as a 2021 Top 100 Institutional Team nationally. Also, he has been featured in Barron’s Top 1200 State by State Advisors in New York every year since 2010. He is based in the Rochester office along with team members, including: Thomas Thaney, Vice President, Institutional Consultant, Michael Valenti, Senior Vice President, Institutional Consultant, Chad Jacob, Senior Vice President, Institutional Consultant, Heather Warne- Hopkins, Assistant Vice President, Institutional Consultant Analyst, Theresa Kenyon, Portfolio Associate, Elizabeth McCarthy, Institutional Consulting Analyst, Adam Brady, Institutional Consulting Analyst, and Samantha Maley, Institutional Consulting Relationship Manager.

Caropreso, meanwhile, is a Senior Vice President, Institutional Consultant, Financial Advisor, and Alternative Investments Director. He is in based in the Latham office along with Melanie Lugo, Registered Client Service Associate, and he has more than 27 years of experience in the investment industry.  Caropreso earned a BS in finance from Siena College and graduated from carpenter’s apprentice program, working as a journeyman carpenter through Carpenters Local No. 370 in Albany. He is currently a member of Carpenters Local No. 291, Eastern Contractors Association, Syracuse Builders Exchange, Builders Exchange of Rochester and International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

 

Statewide representation

The Rochester and Latham offices began working together about 12 years ago, when they realized there was overlap between their respective client bases and geographical footprint and therefore opportunities for teamwork.  

The collaboration has allowed the team to better serve a wide variety of clients.

“My institutional client base was smaller numerically than his, but they were of a larger size,” Caropreso said. “I was in an institutional niche in construction-related benefit plans, multi-employer funds, while Marc also had experience in foundations and endowments and other large institutions, hospitals, districts, charitable organizations. Marc also occasionally shared the enjoyment of working with Taft Hartley clients, having over a half dozen himself since as early as 1991. “For me, my institutional practice was a smaller percentage of my overall business, and the resources that I had available to me in Albany were less than the resources I would have enjoyed had I not teamed up with Marc.”

That partnership was formalized in 2019, in order to leverage collective resources, better communicate, and share technology.

“Just in the act of teaming actually officially they become more streamlined, more plugged into our group,” Fischer said. “Having them, even in Albany, it does not matter. They could be across the planet and we would have the same kind of synergies that go with that, because they participate truly at our day-to-day. They can literally see all the data like we see it live on the screens and they are not just an outside group that we work with.”

Having offices in Rochester and Latham also offers the Fischer Group better geographical representation.

“We are obligated in most cases to visit our clients in person, post-COVID, and to visit our clients quarterly… to always be available,” Fischer said. “We have multiple advisors on each relationship at all times so that they can see not only the team approach to it but with the coverage that we have. With our competitors, it is very rare to see more than one financial advisor at the meetings. Our clients find it more comforting to know that there is a team that is behind them and in different individuals that they can reach out and touch.”

‘You just cannot buy that’

Like some 60 other Graystone directors nationally, Fischer and his team work with both individual and corporate/institutional clients. In addition to the firm’s own experience, one of the big draws is its relationship with financial powerhouse Morgan Stanley. As Graystone’s parent company, Morgan Stanley provides the structure that allows individual teams to serve their clients in a truly unique capacity.

“That is probably the single largest advantage that we have over most of our competitors,” Fischer said. “It is not only the experience of the financial advisor, but also the financial backing, the critical administrative support, and the health of the sturdiness of the capital, the firm, is key.”

Morgan Stanley provides significant backing in the form of financial and legal resources that are essential when Fischer’s team are acting in a fiduciary capacity for their clients, which applies to nearly all their institutional relationships and to many of their retail clients as well.

“Morgan Stanley gives us the backing of a global institution,” Caropreso said. “We have got at our fingertips more resources than I can fathom. You just cannot buy that.”

The Fischer Group at Graystone has access to technology, staffing, research, and other resources that other firms don’t. Included in these resources is the legal structure and oversight components that allow their consultants to take on a co-fiduciary role with their institutional clients. In order to remain free from conflicts of interest, consultants cannot use Morgan Stanley managers or products within their consulting client’s portfolios, preserving their position as a truly independent advocate of their clients.

“Morgan Stanley is a very good partner,” Fischer said. “They are very supportive of the teams.”

“I would say our clients think what is most important with our partnership with Morgan Stanley is the fact that we are a fiduciary,” Fischer said. “In most cases, we are a co-fiduciary and we actually take the same amount or multiple times the same amount of risk as the trustees themselves.”

With their long history of serving institutional clients, the team understands their obligations, and the special trust relationship that comes with undertaking fiduciary responsibility in partnership with boards of trustees, or as consultant to a corporate retirement plan

It’s a comfort to clients if they have a fiduciary with ample resources to educate and protect them.

Not just stocks and bonds

The resources and support of Morgan Stanley allows the Fischer Group to provide a number of services to all client types, and access to a large suite of investment options that can be customized and mixed to help meet each unique client need. The group boasts several members with “Alternative Investments Director” titles, which gives them particular experience with utilizing the specialized subset of investment options known as “alternative investments.”

This sometimes esoteric asset class- from hedge funds to managed futures, commodities and private equity, among many others- goes beyond traditional stocks or bonds. Having worked with investors for more than 30 years, the team has the experience to advise and educate clients on these kinds of investments. The firm prides itself on the ability to cater to both corporate and individual clients and to provide a tailor-made approach to portfolio construction and oversight.

“Going back 30 years, the consulting industry… was really just stocks and bonds,” he said. “In the day back in the 1970s and ‘80s, very high net worth investors had alternate investments. Now it has become more mainstream as they become more available to individual investors.”

In particular, Fischer said the consultant’s role is to educate clients about their investments, because particularly when it comes to alternative investment options, ensuring the client meets appropriate suitability guidelines and understands their investment choices is key.

“It is a part of the job that we do in our role as educators. Most of our clients are boards, their trustees, their members that really represent pools of money that is not theirs,” he said. “Part of what they are obligated to do as trustees, they need to become constantly educated as to what it is because they are responsible for those pools of money. That is where we have the training and the commitment to do that type of work, and educate them, and make them comfortable with those types of investments as part of our process.”

Another important part of the Fischer Group’s business is navigating jointly- trusteed benefit packages sponsored by labor unions and contributing employers called Taft-Hartley plans. Caropreso explained that the packages are similar to the kinds of plans offered by single employers. The primary difference is that the plan is managed under a trust with trustees appointed or elected by the union and a group of contributing employers as opposed to a single employer. The union member plan participants don’t work for the same company day in and day out. The particular intricacies of investment management for these multi-employer plans require some special expertise to understand and service. The team’s long history of serving Taft-Hartley plans in the construction trades give them ample experience in helping clients with these needs.

“In order for these plans to work, the plan has to follow the worker from employer to employer,” Caropreso said. “So you end up with benefit packages made up of typical pensions, defined contribution plans for retirement, kind of like a 401k plans, and healthcare plans.”

The Group is responsible to help trustees representing the unions and employers make investment decisions for those pools of money to ensure their security and growth to meet stated goals and objectives for their participants.

“We are helping them select investment strategies, managers, products to meet the obligations of each of those plans,” he said.

The Fischer Group’s deep understanding of the needs of clients, the available universe of investment options, and abundant resources of their parent company allow them to match clients with a customized consulting solution.

CONCLUSION

While the Fischer Group offers a wide variety of services and amenities, Caropreso said it’s the expertise that sets the firm apart from its competitors.

“We’re ultimately here to serve the local community,” he said. “We have more skin in the game. And at the end of the day, we want to do a better job for less money, better results, more service than any other people that would come in from out of town.”

Fischer agreed.

“Clients come to us because they need the global presence of Morgan Stanley backing-wise and the experience of Graystone Consulting, the back office, the research, the capital, et cetera,” he said. “But they also love the local presence, the dedication to the community.”

Caropreso said that all of the changes the Fischer Group has made in the last few years has been to benefit its clients.

“The desire to add more people, that’s not because we want to become more wealthy, it is because we want to do a better job,” he said. “That is really the story of the Fischer group and it is the way that we would see it grow.”

For the last 30 years, and for many more, Fischer’s Group hopes to continue to serve local communities throughout New York State by using their considerable historical experience and the significant resources offered by their parent company, to enhance outcomes for clients. The formalization of the partnership between Managing Director Marc Fischer and Senior Vice President Mark Caropreso, has allowed them to expand their geographical footprint, and created synergies to the benefit of all clients. The team’s commitment to delivering local service means you may see members of the group at golf tournaments, the clambake, steak roast, or any other event that would allow them to follow through on their promise of creating a true partnership with clients. To learn more about The Fischer Group, visit: https://graystone.morganstanley.com/the-fischer-group-at-graystone-consulting

Source: Barrons.com (April 2021). Barron’s Top Institutional Consulting Teams were evaluated on a range of criteria, including institutional investment assets overseen by the team, the revenue generated by those assets, the number of clients served by the team, and the number of team members and their regulatory records. Also considered were the advanced professional designations and accomplishments represented on the team. The rating is not indicative of the Institutional Consulting Director’s past or future performance. Neither Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney LLC nor its Institutional Consulting Directors pay a fee to Barron’s in exchange for the rating. Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved.  

Source: Barrons.com (March 2021). Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State as identified by Barron’s magazine, using quantitative and qualitative criteria and selected from a pool of over 4,000 nominations. Advisors in the Top 1,200 Financial Advisors list have a minimum of seven years of financial services experience. Qualitative factors include, but are not limited to, compliance record and philanthropic work. Investment performance is not a criterion. The rating may not be representative of any one client’s experience and is not indicative of the financial advisor’s future performance. Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors pays a fee to Barron’s in exchange for the rating. Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved.

The investments listed may not be appropriate for all investors. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a financial advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment will depend upon an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives.

Investments and services offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.  Graystone Consulting is a business of Morgan Stanley.

 

Five Star Equipment Exceeds Customer Expectations in Syracuse

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by Becca Taurisano

It’s a whole new Five Star Equipment in Syracuse. The Dunmore, PA based construction equipment company opened their new, state-of-the-art Syracuse facility in November 2020, shortly after General Manager Dave Kreis came on board in September. With over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry, Kreis was tasked with filling multiple open positions. “I wanted to find people that would be a good fit. Here in Syracuse, we needed to reinvigorate the atmosphere of teamwork.” Kreis was able to staff his team with a combination of outside hires and promoting from within, an important practice at Five Star Equipment.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Recent hires include Scott Hinman, Sales Manager, who comes from a large, national construction rental company with many years of service and branch management experience. Tim DeLany, the Used Equipment Manager has over 30 years of construction experience, the last 20 of which were in used equipment.

Valerie Smith started at Five Star Equipment in 1990 in the service department, worked in various departments, and now serves as Rental Manager for both the Syracuse and Kirkwood branches. Smith has even served as Interim General Manager, when needed. Smith says, “I just truly love working with the customers. It is a close-knit family at the end of the day.”

Pam Huckaby, Corporate Parts Operations Manager, started off on the parts counter, worked her way up to Parts Specialist, and then to her current corporate role. “Pam has been instrumental in hiring and interviewing parts employees and leading the charge in training and mentoring,” Kreis says. “Every day, Pam drives home that the customer comes first and she does a phenomenal job at it.” Huckaby recently assisted with the rollout of the MyDealer portal, an online parts ordering system, and getting larger customers on board.

Gary Mason, Senior Governmental Territory Sales Manager, oversees municipality customers in five counties. “Gary has maintained an industry leading market share with those customers and the John Deere line. He is always available to help and mentor the new sales professionals,” Kreis says.

Lori Prent, Service Advisor; Brian Jacopelle, Territory Sales Manager; and Chris Pier, Product Support Sales Specialist are internal hires who have been promoted to their current positions. Jacopelle has over 15 years of experience and Pier came to Five Star from BOCES, already earning his first promotion in his brief career. Kreis says customers can rely on these industry professionals to provide the highest quality service in construction equipment sales, rentals, and service.

NEW ENERGY

Bringing a fresh perspective to Five Star Equipment is Rob Hecox, the new Service Manager in Syracuse. Hecox has been able to draw on his experience in the automotive industry. “We lean on Rob for feedback in the area of sales and service to help our customers,” Kreis says. Brian Doran, Territory Sales Manager, has nearly five years of industry experience, joined the company in January 2021, and is already a strong producer. Juli Rowe, Sales and Branch Administrator, has served in a variety of administrative and office management roles prior to joining Five Star Equipment in April 2021.

COMMUNICATION

Kreis believes you must exceed customer expectations and communication is essential to doing that. “Getting back to customers in a timely manner is key. We have a very short season in central New York and our customers need to get a lot done. Many of the customers we deal with are multi-generation companies. Relationships in the construction industry are built over long periods of time and you have to go above and beyond their expectations.”

TRAINING & EDUCATION

Five Star Equipment places emphasis on a highly trained workforce who are certified to work on highly technical machinery. “Much like our cars and our appliances, machinery is very complicated now and the repairs need to be done by certified technicians. We provide this through external training from John Deere University, or internal training with our own product support operations managers,” says Kreis. The organization is always looking to build its team as well. “Having teams with qualified people is essential,” Kreis says, “so we invest heavily in employee training and education.”

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Five Star Equipment carries a vast array of product lines including John Deere, Hitachi, Fecon, Bomag, Eager Beaver Trailers, Trail King, HARLO, and Topcon. “We are seeing global shortages on all kinds of products, so availability is key. We are able to offer a large and diverse fleet of equipment from industry leaders to support all of our customers’ needs,” Kreis says. Consistency is also important as customers are more mobile and work across county and state lines. Kreis says customers should have the same experience in any Five Star Equipment location. “We want the customers to expect they will hear from someone in a timely manner, there will be follow up, and there is someone accountable like a General Manager that they can reach out to.” Smith says, “Our goal is to accommodate the customer in every branch. We want to go above and beyond in every way we can.”

BRIGHT FUTURE

With a new facility and a new team, Five Star Equipment is looking to the future. CEO Bill Farrell says, “The company has changed to reflect the industry. There are more women in positions of leadership in construction.” In addition to Valerie Smith and Pam Huckaby, General Manager of the Williamsport branch, Carrie Wolf, and Human Resources Director Elena Seidita, also serve in key leadership roles at the company. “We have the right people in the right positions and we are always looking for more people to join our team,” Farrell says. “For us, the future means strengthening existing customer relationships by always putting our customers first.”

Workforce Development; The Construction Industry’s Challenge to Attract Workers

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By: Earl R. Hall, Executive Director – Syracuse Builders Exchange

Earl Hall headshot

Ten years ago, construction industry executives anticipated that in just a few years there would be a national and local shortage of skilled craftsmen and craftswomen.  The data suggested a large percentage of those eligible would retire, and the next generation worker was not being attracted and retained to fill those positions.  In addition, the increased construction activity across the country, in particular the larger urban cities and surrounding regions, would require an increased supply of labor to support construction building and highway demand.

Today the industry continues to address challenges associated with a skilled labor shortage.  New York State is at the epicenter of the issue, struggling to attract apprentices and journeymen and women alike into a very physically demanding industry, which also ranks as one of the most dangerous professions in the United States.

The Challenge

Attracting people into the industry throughout central New York has always been a challenge.  For decades employers and union apprenticeship programs have attempted to identify and attract people of all sexes, races, skin color and ethnicity.  Unfortunately, in some cases a person might hold an adverse opinion of construction professions.  Others may be dissuaded from exploring a career in construction because of the physical demands and working at times in difficult working and environmental conditions.  Others have complained the average construction worker may only work 1,600 – 1,800 hours per year.  Recently, a barrier to entry for some is the lack of transportation and childcare.  Those reasons are not to be ignored and must be addressed when attempting to attract future candidates into the industry.  

Self-Reflection

As a college student at Syracuse University in the late 1980s, I enjoyed coming home for the summer; however, with that came the understanding that I needed to work and make enough money to afford to return to college.    

For five summers I worked as a laborer for various union contractors, working 3 months at a time.  Whether it was as a mason tender working for Hopkins & Reilly alongside Bricklayers Local 2, Operating Engineers Local 545 and Laborers Local 333 union members at the Great Northern Mall or at the North Medical Center; running a jackhammer 8 hours a day on the bridge decks over Route 690 and West Street; or performing demolition work at Crouse Irving Hospital, I developed a tremendous amount of admiration and respect for those career construction workers.  Those career union members finely tuned their skills and obtained a wide variety of safety training certificates in an effort to deliver the finest construction worker any employer would want on their team.  The diverse men and women on those projects taught me to work hard, be efficient and work safely.  I had no business earning the same hourly pay as the career union member working along side of me, but they accepted me as a member of their team. 

I would never trade those summers for anything as those experiences helped me better understand the hard work, effort and sacrifices that career construction workers put forth to become professionals at their craft.  Along with the professionalism came their desire to attain as much education and safety related content as possible to provide and work in a safe working environment.  Obtaining safety training certificates not only educated the workers on how to work safely on job sites but made the worker more marketable to other contractors.  Developing career skills, job site experiences and safety training certifications over a long period of time created the ultimate career construction worker.

An Employer’s Vision

Employers and union apprenticeship programs today have evolved to adapt to the challenges identified above.  Both union and non-union employers alike strive for long-term, career-oriented employees in their companies for a variety of reasons.  Employers want people who are self-motivated, safety-conscious, reliable, and hardworking who can get to and from their place of employment daily. 

One of the top priorities of employers is to provide their employees with a safe working environment, all the necessary safety equipment and all the necessary and required education and safety training.  A safe workforce is a productive workforce.  Workers’ compensation claims are a lose-lose situation for any employer as one of their employees is now injured, and the company’s workers compensation insurance premium will increase.  Keeping employees safe on dangerous job sites is paramount to an employer’s ability to be successful and profitable.   

Today’s Environment

Elected officials and bureaucrats alike have required that workforce development and contract award goals be included on public work projects.  Those noble goals may be in the form of contract awards to minority, women, and service-disabled veteran owned businesses (“M/W/SDV”), preferential bid discounts afforded to the above or diversity hiring goals of employees.  Although such are well intended goals, too often capacity to achieve such goals may not exist in the region where such goals are assigned.  Over the years, the Syracuse Builders Exchange has offered educational courses to help M/W/SDV grow businesses to build capacity of such employers in the central New York region.

Local and regional socio-economic issues championed by community leaders, activists and politicians have also delivered a narrative on the necessity of diverse workforces in the industry.  While laudable and desired, capacity problems remain in that such required targeted people in society have not been attracted to the industry for reasons stated previously.  How do employers, and the industry in general, overcome these issues and attract people of all races, color, sex, and ethnicities to create a diverse workforce in the construction industry?

Solutions

While there may be multiple, well intended groups focusing on workforce development initiatives for specific segments of society or individual projects, the Syracuse Builders Exchange is committed to attracting and retaining all people throughout our 18-county central New York region.  Creating and maintaining a sustainable workforce development program must be inclusive.  Local and regional initiatives should be embraced so long as they do not adversely impact existing career construction workers or the employers who hire them.

Focusing on training potential workers for specific, short-term construction projects should be used as a launching pad for the next generation construction worker.  Identifying those candidates from socio-economic challenged and low-income segments of our society is difficult, yet an initiative worth pursuing for many reasons.  I challenge those involved in such initiatives to think long-term and focus on creating a career construction worker.  A construction worker who will stay engaged in the industry and make construction his or her career.  While community leaders, elected officials and bureaucrats look to address local problems that impact local constituents, the construction industry should take advantage of this in an effort to promote a career in construction and the amazing benefits and opportunities the industry has to offer on a long-term basis.  

Over the years, I have served on the Syracuse City School District’s (“SCSD”) Career and Technical Education (“CTE”) Advisory Board to help develop curriculum in the construction related pathways offered to students in the SCSD.  The CTE program attracts students entering middle school who may not have an interest in higher education, and who would rather choose a career pathway to enter the workforce upon high school graduation.  The SCSD CTE program targets all students in the city of Syracuse, including but not limited to those in defined “low income” communities.  It targets students of all races, color, sex, and ethnicities, and serves as a resource to nurturing young students into career pathways for which the industry is in dire need.

The Syracuse Builders Exchange will continue to be a leader in providing education and safety training content to construction industry employers and their employees.  We will continue to participate and be engaged in developing the next generation construction worker on a regional and local basis.  While public officials have assigned contract and hiring goals based upon race, skin color and ethnicity, the Builders Exchange will continue to promote construction career opportunities to all people of all races, skin colors and ethnicities in an effort to build not only such “goal” capacities in the industry, but to fill voids left by those career construction workers who have retired.

Summary

As a fiduciary to the Syracuse Builders Exchange, my job is to act in the best interest of the members of the Association, their employees, and the construction industry in general.  Serving in the best interest of the construction industry in general covers a broad spectrum of people, ideas, interests, and entities.  Diversity and inclusion of all people in the industry will continue to be at the forefront of our workforce development campaigns and initiatives.  Not because governmental entities, politicians, community leaders or bureaucrats say so, but because such has always been the approach when identifying, attracting and retaining our next generation construction worker.

Navigating Insurance Market Uncertainty; Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail

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By: Brett Findlay, OneGroup

Over the course of the past year, it is fair to say that businesses in all industries have faced new challenges. The construction industry and the corresponding insurance marketplace have been no exception. In the Spring of 2020, reports suggested that commercial insurance buyers specifically in the United States, would face sizable pricing increases in 2020 and 2021. These reports were published prior to the Coronavirus pandemic. At that time, the potential increases were predicted for most lines of insurance. Those indications were the first of a hardening market. As a contractor in New York State, the insurance marketplace is limited enough to begin with, let alone at an affordable price. The question(s) become, what has changed and how do I prepare as a buyer? Because if you do not prepare, you may be on the receiving end of negative renewal experiences.

A hard insurance market, by definition, is characterized by an increased demand for insurance coverage coupled with a reduced supply. Typically, underwriting guidelines become more stringent, policies issued by carriers dwindle, premiums are high, and insurers are less willing to negotiate terms. This was happening prior to the pandemic, and for certain lines of insurance the pandemic has only seemed to exacerbate the situation. We are now in what is considered to be the first hardening market to take hold since the turn of the century. Rates have not reached that point yet, and it is too early to tell if they will continue on that trend.

 

As a business owner there are some items that are paramount to have a handle on in order to weather the cycle as effectively as possible. Having an experienced broker and a strong relationship with them is of the utmost importance. That broker should be able to coach you on the development, implementation and/or fine tuning of your risk management & safety program, coverage adequacy, carrier relations and claims history. Having a handle on these items, and how you represent them to the insurance carrier(s) is key to maintaining or improving your current program and budgeting for the costs associated with it. So, what has changed with your program, and how do you prepare for it?

Any given broker may be the best fit for your company, but, if the agent representing your account cannot properly handle it then your company is the one that ultimately pays for it. That is why it is critical to have an experienced agent. The agent should be diligent and proactive in learning about your business. They will need that firm understanding of your industry, and how your business functions within it, to properly paint the best picture of your organization while discussing it competently with the underwriter of any given carrier. The picture being painted needs to include certain key points, as previously mentioned those points include your risk management and safety procedures, claims history and coverage needs. Being able to discuss each in depth and coherently to an underwriter will put them on the path to providing the program that you need and being able to do so will provide you with the best program and rates available to your industry class.

It is equally important to have a broker that understands the marketplace and which carriers to involve in the underwriting of your account. The ability of that broker to forecast the costs and insurance availability with the proper coverage is key. Long story short, you need someone who knows construction, and knows the carriers and underwriters that write insurance for construction operations.

                Typically, a hard market is not a fun process to go through. With that being said, you have the ability to proactively position your business to handle the situation. Talk to your agent, prepare yourself for the unexpected and the possibility of having to market your insurance, get in front of the curve to limit any potential program failures. As you have heard me say before, contractors in todays’ economic landscape, must be sharper than ever to increase or even maintain profit margins. Preparing yourself for a hard market and forecasting any potential dramatic increases to soft costs, will put you in a better position to control your margins.

            At OneGroup, we are a team of specialists, dedicated to risk management and construction industry specific insurance issues. We hope to serve as a resource to your organization for all your construction specific questions and concerns. OneGroup takes great pride in being at the forefront of industry trends and assisting others where we can. You can learn more about us at: www.OneGroup.com.

July 2021 Newsletter

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It’s no longer about counting customers; it’s about reaching the customers that count.

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but about the stories you tell.” – Seth Godin

C&S Companies: LEEDing by Example

New York enacted one of the most aggressive climate laws in 2019, requiring the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and by at least 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels … C&S Companies make it their mission to help companies meet or exceed these ambitious goals. Read more HERE.

Physicians: Work with a Broker: Your Career is Worth Protecting

For over a decade, physicians saw decreasing and flat rates due to a soft market. They may have come to expect similar pricing in the future. So why is the market changing now?

Read More

‘Everyone in the organization is critical to success’

Ron Belle, originally of Camillus, joined the AmeriCU team four years ago; as of last year and coinciding with AmeriCU’s 70th anniversary, he is now leading the team.

Read More

J&B Installations, Inc. Celebrating 40 Years of Success

J&B Installations got its start as a two-man operation in 1981. Now, celebrating their 40th anniversary, they employ upwards of 100 people during peak season and are known as one of the most reputable and safest roofing companies in Upstate New York.

Read More

What is content marketing? Content marketing is important because it answers your audience’s questions. With content marketing, you can build trust with your audience, improve conversions, connect with customers, and generate leads. And, in today’s age, customers expect high-quality, consistent content.

Client news: St. Joseph’s Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Corinne English, CPA, to, Director, Financial Services: System Controller effective June 1, 2021. In this role, Corinne will oversee and manage the finance department and be instrumental in all aspects of the St. Joseph’s Health accounting and financial reporting cycle.

Corinne is joining St. Joseph’s Heath after nearly 14 years as Senior Manager at Fust Charles Chambers, LLP in Syracuse, NY. During her time there, Corinne provided audit, accounting, and advisory services to health care and not-for-profit organizations and supervised and managed audit teams.

“St. Joseph’s is excited to add the talent that Corinne brings with her as a key member of the finance team,” said Meredith Price, Chief Financial Officer at St. Joseph’s Health. “She has vast experience and has demonstrated health care expertise in several areas. She will play a vital role in moving St. Joseph’s strategy forward in a manner consistent with our mission and values.”

Corinne holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Healthcare Financial Management Association, and LeadingAge New York.

Testimonial: “MD News has been great for our practice. Recognition, recruitment and referrals, just like Rich says. We have dealt with small groups up to national ad agencies – Keene is the King of All Media!” – Dr. Scott Buckingham, Crouse Radiology Associates

CNY Publications, specialists in Custom Publishing and Content Marketing, offers you the opportunity to tell your story. We have the right platform(s) to get your message out to your target audience and position you as the expert in your field.

Our monthly newsletter will feature randomly selected content from our publications.

For more information, contact Michael T. Brigandi at 315.415.9364 or email Mike@cnypublications.com; contact Richard K. Keene at 315.446.8331 or email RKeene@MDNews.com or visit cnypublications.com.

C&S Companies: LEEDing by Example

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‘We have to change some behaviors; the earth is our life-support system.’

By Martha Conway

New York enacted the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019 – one of the most aggressive climate laws globally – requiring the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and by at least 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels.

Some of those goals are 85-percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2050, 100-percent zero-emission electricity by 2040, 70-percent renewable energy by 2030 and 22 million tons of carbon reduction through energy efficiency and electrification.

C&S Companies make it their mission to help companies meet or exceed these ambitious goals.

Office Principal and Sustainability Leader Tim Hughes said C&S Companies is a multi-disciplinary engineering, architecture and construction firm having more than 450 employees representing all engineering and architectural disciplines and having expertise in all commercial markets.

“Anything that gets built, we can design,” Hughes said.

The green team

Hughes said when green and sustainable design and construction peeked their heads into the building trades, C&S was on the cutting edge and green thinking resonated with him.

“I knew it wasn’t a fad, it just made sense” he said.

Hughes said C&S strives to reduce negative impacts in internal operations and client projects across all markets. Employees formed a ‘green team’ to make changes internally. They overhauled systems in their own properties and sought landlord cooperation in the rest. The overall effort resulted in examination and reduction of their own footprint, demonstrating they can help clients go green, too.

C&S started purchasing recycled materials and reducing or eliminating use of potentially hazardous materials and single-use items.

“What we landfill is important, and we need to overcome our consume-and-dispose mindset and be resource-efficient with water, energy and materials,” Hughes said. “A lot of materials contain toxins, carcinogens and other things that affect human health and the endocrine system.”

C&S installed heat recovery systems, sensors and LED light fixtures. The main complex in Syracuse is LEED-certified in operation and maintenance. They began the transition to a non-carbon alternative energy source; solar offsets 25- to 30 percent of their energy costs, and they will see payback in about four years. Electric vehicle charging stations were installed and air travel impacts are offset via the Good Traveler carbon offset program.

“To encourage clients to build more intelligently, C&S models environmentally responsible design and construction,” Hughes said. “That includes materials, energy and transportation. To keep climate change in check, we must reduce carbon. We have to change behaviors; the earth is our life-support system.”

Hughes said the objective is to look past short-term goals and build a better building up front to save over the entire lifecycle of the project.

C&S gets all engineering disciplines involved, providing a comprehensive, integrative, whole systems perspective in the planning and design process to identify synergies, interdependencies and avoid potential unintended consequences and create solutions that balance all project and societal goals.

“Eighty percent of existing buildings will be here in 2050, so they have to be addressed,” Hughes said, explaining retrofitting existing spaces is challenging. “Regardless of how you feel about global climate change, the evidence is here: we’re depleting our resources and degrading the ecological systems that provide for our quality of life.”

Energy efficiency

Managing Engineer Ben Tashjian said energy efficiency is achieved through a number of services. An energy audit is performed on existing buildings, focusing on controls upgrades, mechanical equipment replacement with energy-efficient equipment, envelope upgrades and LED lighting conversion.

“C&S is a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority-approved FlexTech consultant,” Tashjian said. “The FlexTech program provides matching funds – or better, sometimes as much as 75 percent of some projects – for a variety of energy-efficiency studies and schematic design services for existing buildings.” These savings apply to many sectors including higher education, healthcare, and municipalities.

He said FlexTech allows clients to get more for their money and can offer more in-depth analysis. Energy modeling creates a more 3D view of buildings, simulating energy-consuming items and allowing engineers to remove items to calculate savings for each component.

“We want to help people stop, think and make smarter choices for energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions,” Tashjian said, explaining that C&S can help entire communities capture data and meet governmental standards for efficiency demanded by the CLCPA. “The only way to do that is no fossil fuels.”

“Analysis helps the client and the team by having input from all possible disciplines,” Tashjian said. “With this approach, we wind up with a much better project for our client.”

He said C&S can help clients secure funds to meet their sustainability goals.

Aviation

“Airports, by nature, are composed of large facilities, buildings and infrastructure that support the traveling public and aircraft operations,” said Senior Consultant Kailey Eldredge. “That doesn’t mean they need to be an energy drain or massive source of emissions; there’s much that can be done when it comes to planning, designing and building to really help airports achieve sustainability goals and reduce impacts to the environment. They are assets to the public and contributors to social sustainability.”

C&S introduces operational efficiency to the triple bottom line definition of sustainability – because airports are unique in their operational needs and their focus on the safety of the public.

“COVID-19 had a massive impact on airports and airlines,” Eldredge said. “In a way, it’s really opened airports’ eyes to their role in public health.”

C&S also helps airports implement rating systems and certifications to meet their planning, design, and construction goals.

“We make a great effort to promote stakeholder engagement in every project we do, whether it’s a runway extension or airport master plan,” Eldredge said, echoing her colleagues on the importance of an integrative, whole systems view and multidisciplinary involvement from the start. “It’s something we’ve continued to do successfully, even during COVID.”

“We make sure we’re providing the highest and best value to every client,” Eldredge said. “Sustainability shouldn’t be a burden. We want to establish balance between benefits and cost-efficiency.”

“The earlier you conduct engagement focused on your organization’s goals and where you can make sustainable decisions, the easier it is to implement strategies. The further along in a process, the more costly it is to make changes that benefit a project and the organization as a whole.”

“Not just the big projects, and not just the ones that are pursuing LEED or fancy certifications, but every project, every decision you’re making is going to benefit you in the long run.”

Industrial Process

 

Principal Engineer Carey Merritt said industrial clients’ main focus is conserving energy, usually done though modifying processes that capture waste energy or replacing energy-using equipment with more efficient equipment.

“Replacing boilers and ventilation systems with energy-efficient units or adding smart controls that minimize run times during off-peak times are examples of how we have helped clients in the past,” Merritt said. “In addition, we look for sustainable building practices like passive solar, low-E windows and doors, tighter building envelopes and smart BMS system when we have the opportunity to design new or get involved with substantial renovations.”

Occasionally, we design in the renewable energy sector, he said.

“We recently finished a complete overhaul of an early 1900s small hydroelectric plant on the Owasco river in Auburn.”

“We use our energy managers, LEED architects and controls engineers to help project teams build sustainable methods into the design process. Oftentimes, we will perform energy-use analysis up front, which can be used to drive building-related decisions.”

“We also leverage our construction and operations team members to bring practicality into our work.”

Carbon management

Senior Principal John Trendowski said the first key to a carbon management program is to determine the source of carbon owned and operated by the facility (Scope 1), the electricity usage (Scope 2) and all other sources of greenhouse gases not controlled by the owner (Scope 3).

“Once the carbon sources are identified, we research how the sources can be reduced – if not eliminated – in a reasonable timeframe and cost.”

He echoed Tashjian that C&S can help identify funding opportunities through federal, state, and local governments or third-party companies.

The carbon management program should provide a realistic schedule of projects to reduce greenhouse gases over a certain period and identify potential obstacles that could affect a project. As a facility reduces the combustion of petroleum-based fuels, it also reduces criteria pollutants and potentially hazardous air pollutants.

C&S services parallel the components of a carbon management program:

  1. Greenhouse gas inventories to determine existing baseline conditions
  2. Sustainability plans detailing goals and steps to reduce greenhouse gases
  3. Integration of carbon-reduction strategies into potential projects and evaluation of alternatives
  4. Mitigation project design, including plans, specifications, bid services and construction management
  5. Funding source identification, including preparing grant applications and securing funding to offset the capital costs of projects
  6. Assist clients in obtaining management approval, incorporate sustainability into all facets of the organization and train staff, as necessary

“The bare truth is, humanity is tasked with resolving these issues within the timeline identified by the science if we want to avert the worst of the predicted consequences,” Trendowski said. “C&S continues to rapidly evolve their knowledge and approach to help those responsible for building and operating infrastructure to achieve their missions while addressing these broader impacts within their economic constraints.” 

For more information, contact C&S Companies at 877.CS.SOLVE (toll-free), contactus@cscos.com, facebook.com/pages/CS-Companies, twitter.com/C_SCompanies or linkedin.com/company/c&s-engineers-inc-. For more information on NYSERDA’s FlexTech Program, visit cscos.com/2020/09/nyserda_incentive/.

Chatfield Green Roofing: Growing Opportunities

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By: Tami Scott

Bob Parker can attest to the old adage that perseverance really does pay off.

As the founder of Skaneateles Falls-based J&B Installations, which specializes in commercial roofing, Parker established another company 25 years later. The subsidiary, Chatfield Farms, was launched in 2006, about a year after J&B Installations worked on a green roofing project at SUNY Cortland. That operation involved using XeroFlor, a pre-vegetative roofing system that at the time was grown in Canada and nowhere else in North America. The product piqued Parker’s interest, and he consequently offered to be a grower at his farm in Elbridge if an opportunity became available.

“I kind of kept bugging him and bugging him,” said Parker, referring to the XeroFlor representative based in North Carolina. “And finally I met with him about a year later and became a grower for XeroFlor because they had a lot of projects coming up in the states.”

Originally developed about 45 years ago in Germany, XeroFlor has since gained substantial recognition throughout Europe, North America and Asia. And in the 10-plus years that Chatfield Farms has become a grower, its participated in numerous high profile projects, the Jacob Javits Convention Center among them.

“The Javits Center is our biggest roof grown out of the Elbridge field,” said Parker, who has good reason to feel a particular pride for this accomplishment. “We had almost a half million square feet of green roofing on the ground.” The Jacob Javits Convention Center roof size is 294,000 square feet, the largest green roof in New York City and the second largest in the nation. Only Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan beats it with a XeroFlor green roof installation of 10.4 acres, the equivalent of eight football fields. That was installed in 2003.

Benefits of Green Roofing

The benefits of green roofing are immense. For instance, green roofing significantly reduces stormwater runoff and improves water quality. Traditionally the roofing system is smooth, which causes water to run to the drain as fast as it hits the flat surface. Green roofing slows down the rate of water heading to the drains and subsequently wastewater treatment plants, and consequently reduces the need to build more plants.

“The green roof allows the water to stay on the roof [surface] up to an inch per rainfall event. Excess runs to the drains so most of the time you’re trapping the rainwater,” Parker said. “The water left on the roof is used for the sedum plants, with the remainder evaporating back into the air.” At the Javits Center, the roof, which was completed in 2014, prevents almost 7 million gallons of stormwater runoff annually.

Green roofing enhances building performance and conserves energy. According to a May 2013 archive published by Drexel.edu, Dr. Franco Montalto, a professor at Drexel’s College of Engineering and the lead researcher of a Javits Center study, was quoted as describing the intimate link between water and energy through the process of evapotranspiration. 

“Incident solar radiation changes liquid water, originally deposited on the roof by precipitation, into water vapor which then leaves the roof surface,” he said. “The energy consumed by this process keeps the roof and building cooler than it otherwise would be, since without the green roof this energy would simply heat up the roof surface. At the same time, if the air in the vicinity of the air conditioner intake pipes is cooler, these units have to work less to cool the —already cooler—building.”

 A black surface retains heat much longer than a green roof, Parker said, illustrating that a black roof in the middle of summer could reach a temperature as high as 150 to 170 degrees. In contrast, if you were to stand atop a green roof, the temperature would be similar to that of going to a park and laying on the grass.

Since the green roof at the Jacob Javits Center was installed, the temperature on the roof has decreased by 6 degrees Fahrenheit and the yearly energy consumption has decreased by just over a quarter, which in 2016 translated to a savings of $3 million.

Another benefit is an increase in urban biodiversity by providing a habitat for wildlife. According to its comprehensive 2017 Sustainability Report, the Javits Center roof has become a habitat for more than 20 bird species, including gulls, European starlings, barn swallows, rock pigeons, American kestrels and osprey. Five different species of bats now utilize the roof, as well as honey bees (300,000 have utilized roof hives) and arthropods.

Other advantages, just as significant, include a reduction of noise in the building and improvements to air pollution and air quality, “because it’s chewing up the carbon dioxide in the air,” Parker said. The longevity of the roofing system is also increased two- to three-fold because the sun’s UV rays are not hitting the surface of the roof, which prolongs the life of the system underneath.

 Additionally, those contemplating a green roofing system will find there are funding and grants available in many cities. One of the more recent cities to implement green mandates and tax incentives is Denver.  “Denver just created a new green zone, where if you’re inside the city you have to try and use green initiatives,” Parker said. “They’re giving a lot of tax incentives in Denver. We’re hoping that spreads across the country.”

Benefits of XeroFlor

XeroFlor, which has been installed in 38 states so far, is a lightweight, low maintenance and easy-to-install pre-vegetated mat system. Like Chatfield Farms, there are local growers across the country to supply the different regional climates for healthy, sustainable green roofing. Because the system is grown in the field, the plants are already mature and ready for installation. The cost, both monetary and time, associated with the types of systems that begin from scratch—through a plug or planting seeds or cuttings on a roof—are eliminated.

“When they roll out, [the mats are] just like sod on your lawn, ready to go. Servicing is simple: fertilize it in the spring, once a year, and do routine maintenance to take out any type of small weeds until it establishes completely,” Parker said. “The cost difference is about half the cost of a tray system.”

The XeroFlor mats are also non-biodegradable, which is special to the market, Parker said, because they can be picked up and reused 10, 20, even 30 years down the road. This feature makes them more sustainable than other systems that would need to be dug up in order to repair/ replace the roof, or install a roof top unit.

Project Highlights

Chatfield Farms initial involvement with XeroFlor as a grower in Onondaga County, town of Elbridge, evolved into becoming a licensed seller and supplier for the entire northeast, mid atlantic and central regions of the U.S.

 Aside from the Jacob Javits Convention Center, other sizeable and nationally recognized projects that Chatfield Farms has provided XeroFlor mats on include the Duke Medical Center located in Durham, N.C. (roof size just under 6,000 square feet), Columbia University in NYC (roof size 13,080 square feet), CBS in NYS (roof size 8,900 square feet), NYC’s School for Visual Arts Dormitory (roof size 3,080 square feet), Zeckendorf Towers in NYC (roof size 14,000 square feet), the Empire State Building (roof size 6,900 square feet) and Capital One Headquarters located, in McLean, Va., which has a roof size of 15,000 square feet.

Moving Forward: Products and Presence

“There’s been a lot of new products introduced into the industry,” Parker said. “You can build a green roof a hundred different ways and 95 of them will fail.” Parker projects that over the next few years, the industry will experience a “shakeout” of the multiple systems now being presented, but said he believes XeroFlor will hold its ground due to its nearly five decades of history and resilience. “They’ve been through the ups and downs of what’s good and what’s bad. There are certain manufacturers out there that try and make their systems as complicated to install as possible, making it a more difficult and expensive route to go.”

The increase in demand for green roofing, Parker said. can be attributed to better understanding of the concept, applications and benefits, as well as the tax incentives and grants that some cities are awarding to companies seeking eco-friendly building solutions.

As new ideas develop and blueprints hit the desks of decision-makers, green roofing could potentially become the dominant system in the industry. Roofs on older buildings can also be converted through lightweight systems. XeroFlor offers such systems with weights ranging from 8 to 25 pounds per square foot, Parker said. “We need very little soil. The Jacob Javits Center has a total of one inch of soil underneath the mat. The Ford Motor Company has no soil underneath, it’s just the mat,” he said. “The mats come with their own soil in them.”

Parker’s background in roofing extends more than 35 years, having established J&B Installations in 1981. His take on the green movement is one gained from first-hand knowledge combined with substantiated results. His response to the benefits of going green also touches on the basic facts that already evident to the general population.   

“It’s friendly to the environment. You’re taking the heat island effect out. You’re creating an environment for birds and [other wildlife]. You’re talking major municipalities like Philadelphia, NYC, Boston, Washington D.C. —they’re all pavement and concrete,” Parker said. “You’re bringing some green back into the environment. Every city could use more green.”

For more information on Chatfield Farms, call 315-466-2162 or visit gogreenwithchatfield.com.