Orange accelerator forges ahead
In 2009, Orange County”™s Industrial Development Agency and its economic partners launched a business accelerator at the New York International Corporate Park in New Windsor and asked Michael DiTullo, former director of Pattern for Progress, to head up the incubator and hit the IDA”™s desired goal: build new business for the county.
Twenty-one months later, one of OCBA”™s first clients, Continental Organics, broke ground on a $50 million aquaponic farm in New Windsor. Supported by a $6.2 million incentive package from Empire State Development, co-founders Tom Endres and Michael Finnegan are building a 900,000-square-foot facility expected to create 120 jobs in the next five years, Fifty-one percent of the jobs will go to veterans because both men, veterans themselves, know finding a job is not an easy task for troops once they return to civilian life. It”™s a success story DiTullo, who, along with Peter Gregory, OCBA enterprise development director, are intent on replicating.
While most meetings at the New Windsor accelerator are focused and formal, once a month, associates, clients and local officials get together for  lunch ”“ a dress-down day with give and take and exchange of information and ideas ”“ and what experiences clients have had since the last lunch meeting.
Frugaldoo, a phone application enterprise, rented space at the Orange County Chamber of Commerce”™s Business Expo in September and gave it  high marks for helping them meet members of the business community and get the word out about their own fledgling business.
Others, newcomers to the incubator, explained their reasons for putting in an application and hoping its business plan would fit the OCBA”™s criteria. One is Ulster County resident John Anthony Gargiula, who relocated back to the Hudson Valley from California  to start a brewery.
“Craft beer is the rage on the West Coast and it”™s hard to believe New York is 39th in the 50 states for craft brewing.” He plans to put his company, Hudson Valley Brewery, on the map, and give visitors to the region another destination to enjoy ”“ while distributing Hudson Valley Brewery”™s craft beers around New York and to other states.
4e Productions, an educational  nonprofit, is reaching out to elementary school children to send a musical message on how to turn a bad day into a good one. Its first play, “Letters to Daddy: The Musical Key to Bully Free” was warmly greeted at SUNY Orange”™s Middletown campus.
It is one of many productions CEO Will Rodman hopes will eventually make 4eProductions (enlighten, empower and enrich everyone) a standalone company that can take its positive message of caring and sharing on the road to young people. “They are our future,” said Rodman, “and the time to reach them is in the elementary school years, when their core values are being formed.”
Another new client, Memi (My Electronic Medical Information) Tech L.L.C., has created a USB that carries all its owner”™s updated medical history on a wallet size card. Detach the USB, plug in and medical records appear.
“Having your medical information in your wallet on a USBÂ that can be inserted into any computer and instantly gives a health provider or hospital your history can make the difference between a medical success and a medical error. Instead of doctors trying to piece together your health history ”“ or if you are in emergency room with doctors scrambling to find out this information ”“ it is truly a life saver.”
Gerson Levitas is working to make 911Medical ID a must in every wallet or pocketbook of people who want their medical history readily available, whether in an emergency situation or a routine visit to a doctor.
“Not every hospital has an electronic health record system, but you can rest assured every hospital has a computer they can plug a USB into,” Levitas said. “With your history at your fingertips, the right decisions can be made immediately and with more accuracy, lowering the number of medical and medication errors that are made. It”™s all about being your best advocate for your health care.”
“We have many startups and entrepreneurs applying to the OCBA. Many call, but few are chosen,” said DiTullo, who did an extensive study on successful incubators and visited several before working with the IDA to create the Orange business incubator. “We wanted to have all the best practices in place. We”™ve had a few clients we quickly learned would not pan out. They don”™t last long. We don”™t have time for it, but those are few and far between. Overall, every business we take under our wing expects to fly out of here a success. They have three years to do it. After that, they are on their own, and we expect them to soar.”
IDA Chair Jim Petro, who gave three years of funding to the OCBA, said the county is satisfied with the progress DiTullo and staff have made and plan to continue funding the project. “For right now, however, we are not going to be taking any extra space,” said Petro. “We”™ll continue to monitor its progress before we do any further expansion.”
Members agreed the overall atmosphere of the OCBA is one of knowledge sharing and friendly collaboration. “If someone needs an office, and you aren”™t busy, you just leave the room and let them use your space for their clients,” said Bob Glemming, whose company, Tracking Systems Inc., installs GPS systems for municipalities and private company vehicles and equipment, ones that can even monitor temperature changes in refrigerated trucks. “I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by the wealth of intellect ”“ and the willingness to share best practices among members. We all want to see everyone ”˜graduate”™ with honors, an atmosphere truly appreciated when you are building your business and endeavoring to make it a success story.”