David R. Roefaro, Mayor

City of Utica, New York

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:           

From: Angelo Roefaro

Office: 315.792.0100

February 1, 2008- (Utica, NY) – Utica Mayor David Roefaro visited Syracuse, NY yesterday evening to attend an entrepreneurial networking seminar and seed funding workshop at the Syracuse Technology Garden. (Harrison St. in Downtown Syracuse).

Mayor David Roefaro was invited to attend by one of Utica's very own entrepreneurs. Mr. Mark Ford of Utica, NY owns and operates a company called ShipRite Inc located on Genesee St in one of downtown Utica's 19^th Century mansions. The company, which he launched in 1990, is successfully pursuing business on a global scale. Mr. Ford wanted Mayor Roefaro to see exactly how local high-tech entrepreneurs are finding the resources they need to not only start a business in Central New York, but how they network in a way that allows them to connect with all the resources that lead to sustainable competitive advantage.

Upon arrival at the Syracuse Technology Garden Mayor Roefaro and his staff which included Robert Sullivan, Economic Development Commissioner, Pam Jardieu, Grant Writer and Angelo Roefaro, Assistant to the Mayor were provided with a tour of the once condemned downtown Syracuse structure. The building, which currently acts as an incubator for emerging local tech companies is something Mayor Roefaro would like to facilitate right here in Utica. He said, "Utica should strive to have its own technology garden."

The business model for the Syracuse Technology Garden is something Mayor Roefaro and entrepreneur Mark Ford feels is feasible within our very own downtown. The center generates its own revenue by charging renters lower than the industry standards for space they utilize and provides each business with the resources to start up. After only three years of operation, Syracuse's Technology Garden now houses twenty-five local tech businesses that have operations throughout the entire country and has counseled over 140 start-ups regarding feasibility and business plan implementation. Both Mayor Roefaro and Commissioner Sullivan envision Utica as being a city that can replicate much of what this incubator does. Commissioner Sullivan said, "Much of what goes on in incubators extends well beyond the confines of a downtown."

The Director of the Syracuse Technology Garden, Nasir Ali said, "Our center capitalizes on assets that aren't recognized in the general community." He emphasized that Central New York is home to thirty-five colleges and universities with a combined research pool of over $2 billion dollars. He added, "It's numbers like this that put us in the same core investment category as cities like Boston."

The workshop also allowed Mayor Roefaro to connect with professors from Syracuse University and Yale who are currently pursuing the launch of their own technology companies. These budding entrepreneurs find the resources they need through these pre-seed workshops and the special entrepreneurship programs their schools embody. Mayor Roefaro found it disheartening to learn that these workshops span the state in locations like Buffalo, Rochester, Geneva, Ithaca, Albany, and Syracuse but fail to include Utica. The Mayor stressed, "If we don't ensure Utica, NY is part of this entrepreneurial enlightenment, we're not going to reap any benefits whatsoever." He went on to say, "So many things are happening in Utica, NY but we have to get on the radar."

Mark Ford, the Mayor, and his staff all thought that attending this event was a catalyst for change in the area of entrepreneurship for the City of Utica. Incubators of this caliber provide a trickle down effect on the community creating a network so many start-ups need to succeed. Mayor Roefaro and his staff spoke with many in attendance and when asked why he decided to attend this event Mayor Roefaro said, "We're here to see how it's structured and funded." "We're here to research the feasibility of a Utica Technology Garden."

ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT:

Angelo Roefaro