The Buffalo News

T H E Y E A R’ S BUSI N E S S F OR E C A S T • SU N DAY, JA N UA RY 31, 2021

HOW BUFFALO
BOUNCES BACK
WHEN THE PANDEMIC RECEDES, WAYS TO
REKINDLE A 10-YEAR REVIVAL | PAGE 4

DER EK GEE • BU FFA LO N EWS

Tourism outlook: Anticipating a gush of demand for travel | I NSIDE , PAGE 6 The Buffalo News’ annual business forecast
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T H E Y E A R ’ S B U S I N E S S
Amid a time of great uncertainty,
leaders look ahead with optimism
When we started planning this section four
months ago, it was hard to imagine the future.
Workers, some jobless since the pandemic
began and others still working from home,
were shellshocked by a year unlike any
in our lifetime. So we took the long view:
Once Covid-19 subsides, how does Buffalo Denise Jewell Gee be witnessing it way before then.”
Niagara bounce back? We asked leaders
from across industries for their ideas for ASSISTA NT MA NAGING EDITOR
building a stronger region.
The optimism is striking.
M&T’s René Jones, who is guiding the bank’s “gen-
erational investment” in a downtown tech hub, remains
“bullish on Buffalo.” (Section 2) Community Health
Center of Buffalo’s LaVonne Ansari sees new conversa-
tions around disparities for people of color as a “time of
enlightenment.” (Section 5) And the Jacobs Institute’s Bill future.
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Buffalo’s resurgence
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After I graduated college, I lived downtown
for 10 years. I loved my time there, but back
then it was not yet what it has transformed into
now. I still remember how, every year, there
were plans for waterfront development in the
news. None of them ever happened.
Then the shift slowly started. Project
after project, you really could feel that Buffalo
renaissance taking root. And that was what we’d
all been waiting for.
That’s when we conceived “We Love Our
Towne” – it perfectly described our feeling of
the great things that were happening in our
community. In those first commercials, we
showcased Canalside, Holiday Valley, RiverWorks
and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. These are all
great points of pride for Buffalonians.
Out-of-towners are even picking up on
the sparks of our resurgence. When my old
University of Michigan friends visit me, they’re
always saying, “This is Buffalo? You’ve got to
be kidding me!” They rave about the year-
round recreational opportunities thanks to the
lake, our beautiful scenery and proximity to
Canada. We have so much to be proud of in our
community.
From our sought-after restaurants and niche
food like pizza and chicken wings, to the micro
Dan, Frank and David Downing with the legendary Rick Jeanneret at Canalside in 2015.
The Buffalo News
F O R E C A S T • S U N D A Y, J A N U A R Y 3 1 , 2 0 2 1
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prospectus 2021 Health Care
3 The post-Covid economy
4 Six leaders on ‘new normal’
4 Q&A: John Percy
2 Health workers step up
3 Breakthrough research
4 Q&A: Bill Maggio
Business & Finance 6 Fact Book
Maggio sees momentum returning for building 2 Downtown’s big investment
a sustainable startup culture. (Section 4) “We 3 Future of banking is here
Employment & Education
won’t be talking about whether or not Western 2 Colleges disrupted
4 Digital banking accelerates
New York will be successful in turning this re- 3 Classrooms reshaped
cession around in 2022,” Maggio told The 6 Q&A: René Jones
7 Inside M&T’s tech hub 4 Diversity in business
News’ Stephen T. Watson. “We’re going to
8 Fact Book 6 Q&A: LaVonne Ansari
Automotive,
There are stories of reinvention, invest- Real Estate & Development
ment and adaptation to new norms. And 2 Will homeowners sell? Manufacturing & Retail
there’s old fashioned Buffalo spirit. “This 3 Q&A: Douglas Jemal 2 Retail transforms
certainly is new to all of us,” developer Douglas Jemal told 4 Downtown development 3 Manufacturing stabilizes
Jonathan Epstein (Section 3). “I don’t have the answers to 6 Q&A: Rahwa Ghirmatzion 4 Keeping workers safe
what’s going on, but I’m willing to wake up every morn- 8 Fact Book 6 Q&A: Maura Crawford
ing and plow right through it. Even if it’s a foot of snow.”
What you’ll find in the pages ahead is a story of resil-
ience – of challenges ahead, but also great hope for the On the cover: Seneca One tower, as seen from the Buffalo
River near Canalside, dominates Buffalo’s skyline.
breweries and distilleries popping up all over
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Covid-19 hit a pause button on our stride.
But this momentum is not lost, merely in a
holding pattern, while we tackle the challenge
in front of us. The health and safety of our
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I am bullish on Buffalo. And I’m enduringly
optimistic about the resurgence ramping back
up once Covid-19 is behind us. That’s why I
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 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 3

The Buffalo Niagara Economy

A different look for the post-Covid economy

David Robinson
COMMEN TA RY

T
here are hopeful signs that
the Covid-19 recession is
losing its grip on the Buffalo
Niagara economy.
Maybe not right away. But, hope-
fully, soon.
A vaccine is gradually being dis-
tributed. Spring – and the ability to
social distance more easily as we
spend more time outside – is a couple
of months away.
But as we wait, the damage is still
being done to the Buffalo Niagara
economy, and with each blow, the
harder it will be to recover.
“It’s still a period of heightened
uncertainty,” New York Federal Re-
serve President John Williams told
reporters last month.
For starters, a safe and effective
vaccine holds great promise, but the
rollout of the vaccine has been much
slower than hoped, and it will take
many months before enough people
are inoculated to bring the pandemic
under control.
Until then, the restrictions to slow
the spread of Covid-19 will remain in
place, limiting travel, restricting din-
ing and generally dampening every- Derek Gee/Buffalo News
day activities. The skyline from Niagara Street where the Niagara Square Apartments are under construction on the site of the former Shoreline Apartments.
“It’s going to be a long road before
conditions approach normal,” said
Richard Deitz, an economist at the homes now that we’re spending lots peared during the first wave. How apt to hold jobs that require direct pen slowly and cause great hardship.
New York Fed’s Buffalo branch. more time there. But it’s bad for the deep that relapse is remains up in interaction with people, have been Just ask anyone who was work-
While consumer spending has service sector, as we avoid restau- the air, but every step back means hit the hardest by the recession’s ing at the steel plants here in the
rebounded nicely since the pan- rants, when they’re even open. We that the recovery will take even lon- job losses. Those also tend to be the early 1980s and then had to reinvent
demic began, spending patterns aren’t traveling much, which is bad ger, said Julie Anna Golebiewski, a least educated workers. Employ- themselves to find work as manufac-
have shifted, Deitz noted. And that for hotels and tourism. Canisius College economist. ment for workers with less than a turing waned.
has had major consequences for the “We’re seeing people spending There will be changes to how we high school education has plunged “It raises the importance of
economy. more time at home, and that can work, now that many employers have by almost half during the pandemic, training people to have skills that
“The economy is always under- have implications for economic activ- learned that working from home while the decline is less than 10% are in demand as the economy
going change,” said Jaison Abel, ity,” Deitz said. “The longer this goes can be just as productive as working for workers with college diplomas, shifts,” Deitz said. “It’s not some-
another economist in the New York on, the harder it will be for small from an office. That could lead to a Deitz said. thing we’ll be considering for a
Fed’s Buffalo branch. “The pandemic businesses to recover, especially res- reduced demand for office space as “With those middle income jobs, couple of months, it will be an issue
has accelerated changes in a couple taurants.” the recovery takes hold and business- we’re holding our own,” said Fred for years.”
of areas. The second wave of Covid cases es see a new way to save a significant Floss, a SUNY Buffalo State econo- So there’s light at the end of the
“We’re spending more on goods, caused the job market to relapse af- amount of money by downsizing mist. tunnel. But the Buffalo Niagara econ-
which is good for the home improve- ter it managed to recover only about their offices. Economies typically adapt to omy that emerges likely will be quite
ment industry as we spruce up our three of every four jobs that disap- Low-wage workers, who are more structural changes, but it can hap- different.

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Seneca
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4 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 5

PROSPECTUS: HOW DOES BUFFALO NIAGARA EMERGE STRONGER?

Preparing Buffalo for a post-Covid ‘new normal’ LaVonne Ansari

CEO and Executive Director,
Community Health Center of Buffalo

B y Dav i d R obi ns on /
L
aVonne Ansari was chatting
with colleagues recently when
she said, “Just think of the ten-
N E WS BUSI N E S S R EPORT ER sion that we had with this pres-

W
idential election. Now, just imagine liv-
hen things get back to normal ... ing like that every day.” Her objective in
With the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting so much of Buffalo pointing out the trepidation and conflict
Niagara’s everyday life and its economic foundation, getting that stretched out over time? “That’s
back to normal won’t happen overnight – and for some seg- what racism feels like,” said Ansari, CEO
ments of Western New York – probably not at all. and executive director of the Commu-
So the path for the economy is likely to be quite different from the path it nity Health Center of Buffalo and board
was on before the outbreak. Now, with so much talk centered on getting back chair for the Community Health Care
to normal, there likely will be a new normal that emerges from the pandemic. Association of New York State.
Tourism patterns will change after so much travel was deferred. Restau- From those positions – and her pre-
rants, forced to adapt to dining restrictions, have become better at offering vious role as vice president of Niagara
takeout and delivery. Low-wage workers, who bore the brunt of job cuts during County Community College, where she
the pandemic, will be challenged to develop new skills to fit in with the chang- was the first Muslim African Ameri-
ing shape of the post-pandemic job market. can woman to hold that job – Ansari is
Technology – a weak spot heading into the pandemic – has taken on even speaking out against structural systems
more prominence as office workers did their jobs from home. that have created disparities for people
But that shift also presents an opportunity for Buffalo Niagara now that of color.
more companies embrace the notion of employees working remotely, even from “This is a time of enlightenment,”
locations like Western New York, where living costs are lower than in many of said Ansari, who holds a doctoral degree
the tech hotbeds. from the University at Buffalo. “Change
Change is coming. We asked some Buffalo Niagara leaders what the region comes when there is pressure and
needs to do to be ready for it. Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News there’s a crisis. Those of us of color al-
LaVonne Ansari, CEO and executive director of ways knew that disparities existed. Co-
Community Health Center of Buffalo, says Covid vid has exposed a lot of the inequalities.”
has brought us to “a time of enlightenment.” – Tim O’Shei

LaVonne Ansari Q&A: See Employment & Education Section, Page 6

Derek Gee/Buffalo News

René F. Jones, chairman and CEO of M&T Bank, believes Buffalo is well
positioned to take on problems brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

René Jones
Chairman and CEO, M&T Bank Corp.

A
s chairman and CEO of
M&T Bank, René F. Jones
leads an economic pow-
erhouse in the Buffalo Ni-
agara region.
He sees the toll the pandemic has
taken, particularly on vulnerable
populations and businesses. But he
he likes the early results of other tech
companies joining M&T at the tower, Derek Gee/Buffalo News
which was part of the bank’s vision.
John Percy hopes Niagara Falls stands out as a tourist magnet once the pandemic subsides.
Jones also believes Buffalo is
equipped to take on problems
brought about by the pandemic.
“It’s very easy for us to get the par-
John Percy
ties that can make a difference in a President and CEO, Destination Niagara USA

also sees opportunity for the region
to recover, particularly by embracing
innovation and tapping into home-
grown talent for tech jobs.
M&T’s tech hub, which the bank is
preparing to move into at Seneca One
tower, reflects that spirit. Jones says
René Jones Q&A: See Banking & Finance Section, Page 6
J
room and begin to work together to
solve those problems,” he said. “So I ohn Percy is gearing up for a big chal-
think even though there is some ad- lenge: How to attract more travelers to
versity and some hard work ahead, Niagara Falls once the pandemic lifts
I think that we’re probably very well and the expected gush of vacationers
positioned to tackle this problem.” hit the road.
– Matt Glynn It will be a challenge, because the presi-
dent and CEO of Destination Niagara USA
Derek Gee / Buffalo News
knows there will be plenty of competition,
Developer Douglas Jemal, in his Seneca One tower, believes Buffalo can only go up, and he’s committed to leaving his own mark in helping the Queen City get there. from every tourist-starved market, not only in
the United States, but across the globe.
Douglas Jemal Percy thinks Niagara Falls is on the right
track with its 3-year-old campaign to promote
Owner, Seneca One tower the Falls as a wide-open, natural attraction –
“We are so leisure-based, we’re accessible,
we’re drivable, we’re affordable, and we have a
lot of open spaces or rural open spaces,” Percy
said. “That’s been our campaign – wide open
spaces, now open for adventure. It has proved
very well for us this summer.”
With a limited marketing budget that was
stretched even thinner by the steep drop in
the hotel bed tax revenues to fund the tour-
ism campaign, travelers will have plenty of
suitors once Covid-19 subsides.
The challenge is getting Niagara Falls to
stand out.

W
with plenty of open space for social distancing. – David Robinson
ashington,
D.C., developer
Douglas Jemal John Percy Q&A: See Page 6
is confident in
Buffalo’s ability to come back
stronger.
The Seneca One tower
owner sees opportunities that
mirror what his hometown
looked like 30 years ago. To
the real estate veteran, Buf-
falo can only go up, and he is
committed to leaving his own
mark in helping the Queen
City get there.
But the government and
community leaders need to do
their part as well, Jemal said.
By supporting development
and offering incentives to lure
big technology companies
here with hundreds and thou-
sands of jobs, it would support
of the kind of technology hub
that Jemal and M&T Bank
Corp. are already working to
create at Seneca One.
– Jonathan D. Epstein
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
Bill Maggio is optimistic for a recovery once the Covid-19 vaccine is widely distributed.
Derek Gee/Buffalo News Mark Mulville/Buffalo News Douglas Jemal Q&A:
Rahwa Ghirmatzion, wants the city to “really think outside the box ... boldly and courageously.” In response to a ban on indoor dining, Maura Crawford serves crêpes at a makeshift outdoor ski chalet at her Coco Bar & Bistro. See Real Estate &
Development Section, Page 3 Bill Maggio
Rahwa Ghirmatzion Maura Crawford CEO, Jacobs Institute

F
Executive Director, PUSH Buffalo Operator, Coco Bar & Bistro ew people are as well positioned to The virus has taken its toll on the region-

B M
uffalo Niagara’s ability to
soar in the coming years
will depend on whether
seemingly intractable
problems are addressed creatively
and a new generation of leaders
are allowed to emerge, said Rahwa
Ghirmatzion, PUSH Buffalo’s ex-
ecutive director.
“In Buffalo, we have a concen-
tration of poverty and we have
really deep inequity, especially
racialized inequity,” Ghirmatzion
said. “The biggest thing I see is
that people want to keep doing the
same thing expecting different re-
sults. What we need to do is to re-
ally think outside the box of what
is being done, and to do it boldly
and courageously.”
Ghirmatzion said government
term limits are needed, though she
said not-for-profits and others also
need to hit the refresh button.
“People are in leadership roles
for entirely too long, and they
don’t make way for new energy to
step in that may do things differ-
ently,” Ghirmatzion said. “There
needs to be a changing of the
guard in order for that to really
take hold.”
– Mark Sommer
aura Crawford cut her teeth
on Buffalo restaurant reali-
ties more than 25 years ago as
a partner in Left Bank, which
yet sails on Rhode Island Street, and Le Met-
ro, the former Euro-chic bakery-restaurant
on Elmwood Avenue and in Williamsville.
At Coco, 888 Main St., Crawford has
tried every service variation, currently do-
ing après-ski-themed crêpes and more from
a chalet out front.
She’s so tired. The federal government
won’t save Buffalo restaurants, she says, but
state and local government ought to be tak-
ing a more cooperative approach with small
businesses, doing what they can to help
them survive. Why hasn’t Albany commu-
nicated with employers in New York State
about what to expect when it comes time for
an unemployment insurance assessment?
That’s the bill every enrolled business gets if
the New York State fund runs out of money.
comment on Buffalo’s business com-
Like the rest of America, New Yorkers are munity as Bill Maggio.
suffering the worst jobless year since the The managing partner of private
Great Depression. Help from Albany ought equity firm Lorraine Capital, Maggio also is
to start with telling everyone responsible for CEO of the Jacobs Institute, vice chair of Kalei-
employees what to expect in January. da Health’s board of directors and former chair
In survival mode since March, strug- of the 43North business competition.
gling to keep her business alive for the peo- From that vantage point, Maggio saw sig-
ple it serves inside and outside the building, nificant progress before the Covid-19 pandemic
it has been hard for her to imagine much struck, noting developer Douglas Jemal’s ongo-
past that horizon. ing investments in Buffalo and the growth of
– Andrew Z. Galarneau startup success ACV Auctions.
al economy, he conceded, in particular, health
care providers and small businesses. But he’s
optimistic that once the vaccine is widely dis-
tributed, confidence and momentum will
quickly return, though it could be 2022 until a
full recovery is realized.
As one example, 2020’s 43North contest was
canceled but the state committed to funding it
in 2021 – and Maggio predicts the finals will
take place on stage at Shea’s Performing Arts
Center with an audience of 3,000.
– Stephen T. Watson

Rahwa Ghirmatzion Q&A: See Real Estate & Development Section, Page 6 Maura Crawford Q&A: See Automotive, Manufacturing & Retail Section, Page 6 Bill Maggio Q&A: See Health Care Section, Page 6
6 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
John Percy, president and CEO of Destination Niagara USA, aims for his organization to see a return to 60% of 2019 tourism numbers in 2021.
Chief of Niagara Falls USA tourism
gearing up for a gush of travel demand
By David Robinson
N E WS BUSI N E S S R EPORT E R
J
ohn Percy is waiting
for better days.
With travel and
tourism sharply cur-
tailed by the Covid-19 pan-
demic, Percy, the president
and CEO of Destination
Niagara USA, is laying the
groundwork to capture the
hearts and minds of travel-
ers who are waiting for the
chance to hit the road once
the pandemic subsides.
Q: What are you looking
for when things go back to
normal?
John Percy: What we’re
anticipating is a return of
60% of 2019 numbers in
2021.
There is such a pent-up
demand within people that
want to travel. They feel iso-
lated and smothered. And so
the pent-up demand will be
larger than we’ve ever seen
in any past crisis.
Q: How do you take ad-
vantage of that?
A: We’re having heavy
discussions now with all of
our partners – meaning our
ad agency, our public rela-
tions agency and our digi-
tal advertising agency – to
make sure that we’re ahead
of it and trying to be as cre-
ative as we can.
Everybody is going to be
out there trying to solicit
and grab that customer’s
wallet. And so we have to be
unique and creative, and out
of the box in everything we
do so that we stand out.
Q: Do you think that
when that kind of gush
comes, people will stick
their toe into travel and stay
closer to home or within
driving distance at first? Or
is it going to be time to go
across country or from one
continent to the other?
A: I think you’re still go-
ing to see that apprehen-
sion in that first six months
after vaccines. So you’re still
going to see that closer-to-
home travel, maybe four
to six hours. And then as
things start to lighten up,
it’s an outer circle that keeps
growing. So that circle
grows in a month to eight
hours and then maybe to 10
hours and then to 12-hour
travel.
We are so leisure-based,
we’re accessible, we’re driv-
able, we’re affordable, and
we have a lot of open spaces
or rural open spaces. That’s
been our campaign – wide-
“Tourism is the most resilient industry.
We are the hardest hit, the first to always be hit,
but always the first to bounce back.”
– John Percy, CEO of Destination Niagara USA
open spaces, now open for
adventure. It has proved
very well for us this summer.
It ended up not being
a great summer, that’s for
sure, but better than we
anticipated sitting back on
June 15. I think 2021 and
2022, and 2023 are going
to be phenomenal years
for tourism. Tourism is the
most resilient industry. We
are the hardest hit, the first
to always be hit, but always
the first to bounce back.
Q: What would you like
to see the Western New York
tourism industry doing to
get ready for this?
A: We need to stay out
in the marketplace with our
advertising as strong we can
possibly afford out of the
budget that we have.
Q: How do you think the
individual operators, the
hotel owners, the tourism
businesses, with the hit that
they’ve taken, are going to
be able to rebound?
A: I think it’s far more
difficult on a mom-and-
pop-owned property, versus
some of our larger corporate
Buffalo Niagara Leaders
brands. Certain sectors, like
limited service properties,
have had a difficult time
with this. Full service prop-
erties here did OK.
It wasn’t a gangbuster
year, that’s for certain. But
the mom-and-pops have cer-
tainly taken a huge hit. Will
they be able to withstand
this is still the question to be
answered. But if you’ve been
able to withstand it, they’ve
got to get ready, because the
floodgates will open up, and
we will be back to normal
levels in 2022 and even more
so by 2023.
Q: How do you see travel
and tourism changing?
A: It changed after 9/11,
and I think it’ll change here.
Until people are fully com-
fortable, I think grab-and-go
breakfast options, keyless
entry into hotel rooms will
become a stronger element
going forward because
people don’t want to touch
things. They’ll still have a
fear.
I think safety and health
are still going to remain at
the forefront of our industry
for the next couple of years.
Q: Do you do you think
there’s an opportunity here
for Niagara Falls to reintro-
duce itself to a large segment
of the population across the
Northeast?
A: Absolutely. And I
think we’ve already taken
advantage of that. I think
customers that would have
been traveling abroad, or
traveling to Orlando, or to
Las Vegas, or some other
popular destination have
given us a second look.
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
Q: What’s going to hap- tional customer back from ism economy to a greater
pen when the Canadian bor- Europe, Asia and beyond. extent than the domestic
der reopens? We’ve got to reenter those customer.
A: Canadians are resil- markets very strategically, Q: What percentage of
ient. When the exchange in a timely fashion and hope visitors are international
rate is so not in their favor, that that pent-up demand but not from Canada?
they have a tendency to just is even stronger on interna- A: Probably 10% to 15%
come over and shop for an tional side than even on the of our total customer base
item that they need and domestic side. here is international. That’s
go back. And so it’s always International travelers not a scientific figure be-
shop, dine, stay, in that or- spend more and stay longer cause we have not conduct-
der, with the exchange rate. in the U.S., so it’s important ed as much international
It’s impacted our retail that we recapture those dol- research as we’d like to. But
sales greatly not having the lars. They’re big dollars and they do spend big dollars
border open. I don’t think they really impact a tour- here.
there will be any hesitation
to cross over once the vac-
cine is there.
Q: What about the flip
side for the traveler who’s
saying, I’m gonna go to Ni-
agara Falls, but maybe I’m
going to the Canadian side.
A: I’m not gonna lie.
With the border closed,
it has helped our num-
bers a little bit this past six
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PROSPECTU
Optimism for a post-pandemic Buffalo
Business leaders remain positive
in their outlook for the Western New
York community following Covid-19,
even as the pandemic has disrupted
the local economy for the foresee-
able future.
News Publisher and President
Tom Wiley recently hosted a virtual
get-together with fellow leaders to
discuss their experiences and to look
at what’s ahead.
In the final installment of this
five-part series, business leaders
from a variety of industries share
their optimism about picking up
Buffalo’s revitalization from where it
left off in early 2020.
TOM WILEY: I think the common
theme that I’ve heard from almost every-
one I’ve met is what amazing momentum
and renaissance was happening in Buffalo
before the pandemic.
I was at The News in the early 2000s
for a few years and then came back in
May 2020, so early on in the pandemic,
every single person I talked to said, ‘Oh,
you just missed it.’ But even three months
into Covid, I could still feel the momen-
tum. So it was very interesting for me to
come back and go, “Wow, this is really
amazing.”
How do you think we recover from
this, and get that mojo and momentum
back that was so tangible?
FRANK DOWNING: I think through
Covid, certainly things have stalled, but I
don’t think anything is stopped. It was like
the pause button was hit.
I think the first quarter’s going to
be tough. But once the vaccine gets out
there and once this is behind us as much
as it can be behind us, I think it’s going to
explode, and I think the market’s really
going to react. It’s going to be like we just
won a war, and I think people are going to
feel really good.
I really believe, and I’m always an op-
timist, that once the pause button comes
Dr. Michael Cropp
Independent Health
President and CEO
Served as Chief Medical Officer in 1996 before
becoming President and CEO in 2005. Under
Cropp’s leadership, the company has had the
highest ranked health insurance plan in the New
York/New Jersey region by J.D. Power and Asso-
ciates for three consecutive years.
Many thanks to our sponsors
Prospectus 2021 comes at a time when it has
never been more important for local businesses
to stand together. Your support, thought
leadership and commitment to this
community brings the Buffalo-Niagara
region one step closer to recovery.
This sponsored feature was produced by Amplified Buffalo. The Editorial Department of The Buffalo News was not involved in its production.
The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
U 2021 ROUN
TUS UND
NDTAB
D ABLE
BLE
E
Western New York business leaders on the unprecedented challenges facing local companies
“Once the vaccine gets out there and once this is behind us as much as it can be behind us,
I think it’s going to explode, and I think the market’s really going to react.
It’s going to be like we just won a war, and I think people are going to feel really good.”
off, everybody’s going to be excited to
get out into the community. I think we’ll
be right back to the Buffalo resurgence,
and Buffalo 10 years from now will be a
lot greater than Buffalo today. And maybe
we’ll even win a Super Bowl!
JOHN GAVIGAN: I think we’re on a
very promising journey. But I don’t think
that we’ve achieved what we’re capable of
doing. So as for our renaissance, we’re off
to a good start.
I totally agree with Frank, too, that
I think it’s going to rebound relatively
easily, and I also believe that we can’t be
complacent. It gets back to the change
management and the innovation that we
started off this conversation with; we
have to really tap into that.
CANDACE JOHNSON: I have to say
that I’m actually very energized for the
future. I am excited and anxious to sort
MEET THE THOUGHT LEADERS
Frank Downing
Towne Auto Group
President
Son of Towne’s founder Frank Downing Sr. joined
the family business in 1986 and has since helped
grow its portfolio to 14 franchises while main-
taining its reputation for great customer service
and long-term employment.
PROSPECTUS 2021
Want Amplified Buffalo to tell your company’s authentic story? Put our storytellers to work for you: amplifiedbuffalo.com.
SPONSORED CONTENT
PART 5 of 5
– Frank Downing, Towne Auto Group
of go with great guns. We’ve been recruit-
ing. There’s a lot of talent out there, and
there’s lots of opportunity here.
I think we’re going to have to work
together more than we ever have be-
fore, especially with issues of diversity.
Those of you that know me very well, I’m
probably one of the most positive people
you’re ever going to want to meet. It usu-
ally works well for me. I’m a very positive
person about the future.
LASTING LESSONS
WILEY: John, how do you think we
can use our strong sense of community to
address some of the important economic
and social issues that have come to the
forefront since the beginning of the year?
GAVIGAN: Honestly, we’re going to
have to figure out new strategies that
consider public health and economic
health. It seems like we’ve got a pendulum
John Gavigan
Endeavor WNY
Managing Director
Western New York native with more than 25
years of experience as an entrepreneur, team
builder and community leader in Buffalo and
Rochester. Founding Managing Director for En-
deavor’s Western New York expansion following
three years as Executive Director at 43 North.
that will swing either one way or the oth-
er – and they’re both really critical to the
overall health of our community. The way
I think of it is that entrepreneurism and
health care are really two critical factors
of the long-term sustainability of our com-
munity. That would be two vital areas that
we have to continue to drive investment,
mind share and thought leadership in.
I know that this is a big conversation
right now, but I think finding new ways of
supporting not only our local and region-
al economies, but also really considering
more domestic supply chains is important.
I started reading up on what they did
in 1918, when Woodrow Wilson was our
president at the time; they barely talked
about that pandemic, and there wasn’t a
lot of pay-it-forward type learnings from
that era to future generations. And I per-
sonally think it would be really wise for us
to be able to do that because it’s unlikely
Dr. Candace Johnson
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
President and CEO
The only woman President and CEO of a freestand-
ing cancer center, Johnson was appointed to those
roles in 2015 afterfirst joining Roswell Park in 2002.
Formerly served as the Deputy Director of the Cen-
ter and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology
and Therapeutics for more than a decade.
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that this is the last time that our country
or humanity is going to face this.
And finally, absolutely, this is our time
to be building incentives towards diverse
and underserved neighborhoods so that
we can continue to frame in wider pop-
ulations to a rebuilding, or the post-Covid
reconstruction, that we engage more and
more people. I think strategically it would
be a missed opportunity if we don’t do
that.
MICHAEL CROPP: I think about the
future and I think about what’s happened
with the state’s economic development
plan. The Buffalo Billion gets a lot of talk,
but the bottom line is there was more
private investment that came forward to
really help to set the tone. But what I think
was a huge, huge plus from the governor’s
economic development plan was forcing
the community to set some priorities and
to work together in key areas.
And we can’t lose sight of that lesson
that beyond whatever largesse might not
be coming from the state going forward,
our ability to sit down and understand
what are the biggest challenges that we
have, and as business leaders, how can we
be working together to close the gaps on
some of those bigger challenges?
I think that’s absolutely vital. We’ve
learned how to get past the war politics
of the ’70s and ’60s that held us back, and
we’ve got to capitalize on that now.
The other thought is that a communi-
ty is only as successful as the folks who
are trailing. We have a responsibility to
bring the rest of the community along,
and I would hope that some of the focus
of the business community is, “What is it
that we can do to make sure that we have
very few left behind?” n
THE 2021 ROUNDTABLE SERIES
Catch up on the entire discussion,
with insights from these local business
leaders on how to embrace change,
empower smart risk-takers and create a
more diverse and inclusive workforce at
go.BuffaloNews.com/Prospectus
Tom Wiley
The Buffalo News
Publisher and President
Chief executive of the top news and largest me-
dia organization in Western New York. He has
been a leader in the media sector for more than
20 years, helping several of the nation’s most
respected news brands grow their capabilities to
meet changing audience and advertiser needs.
BU-1607603
8 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus

BU-1605975
 The Buffalo News

B A N K I N G & F I N A N C E n S U N D A Y , J A N U A R Y 3 1 , 2 0 2 1

GAMECHANGER:
M&T’S NEW
TECH HUB
By Matt Glynn n Pa g e 2

DER EK GEE • BU FFA LO N EWS

Workstations offer a stunning view of downtown Buffalo from 20 stories up in M&T Bank’s “generational investment” – its new tech hub in the Seneca One tower.

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 2 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus

Banking

Derek Gee/Buffalo News

Workers put finishing touches on M&T Bank’s new customer-facing area on the ground floor of the Seneca One Tower, which is undergoing a revival under developer Douglas Jemal.

M&T’s tech hub: a jolt for downtown

By Matt Glynn
N E WS BUSI N E S S R E PORT E R

M
&T Bank’s “tech hub”
inside the Seneca One
tower is shaping up as a
breakout story in bank-
ing in 2021.
That was also supposed to be the
case last year, but the Covid-19 pan-
demic disrupted M&T’s plans.
When M&T finally takes full
advantage of its refurbished office
space inside Seneca One, the tech
hub will provide a jolt to the city’s
tallest building.
For now, the vast majority of
M&T’s employees are working Photos by Derek Gee/Buffalo News
from home, and will keep doing so A set of chairs in a lounge area is meant for less formal work inside M&T Bank’s new tech hub in the Seneca One tower, while a dining area inside
through at least April 4. will offer the bank’s skilled tech employees a more spacious, relaxed working environment.
Anticipation has built for a year
and a half, since M&T confirmed
Seneca One as its choice as the tech has driven many office employees to tech sector. The bank imagines a pandemic. think that gives us a bit of a luxury
hub’s home. The bank will lease 11 work from home. M&T calls the proj- place where collaboration occurs and M&T also has started a program to test and learn. And one of the
floors in the tower itself, plus two ect a “generational investment” that new ideas take shape. to train new recruits to be main- things that is really nice about the
floors in the building’s pedestal, for a can be adapted to meet the safety 43North and some of its portfo- framers, and has a Technology De- space over there is that, quite frank-
total of 330,000 square feet. requirements for people who work lio companies are there. Odoo and velopment Program to develop new ly, the way the space is laid out, it’s a
Seneca One, under owner Douglas there. Lighthouse Technology Services tech talent for the bank. lot more square foot per person.
Jemal, is undergoing a revival even “We’ll be able to make modifica- chose Seneca One, as has Serendipity Just a few years ago, the down- “And it actually turns out that it
apart from the tech hub. New apart- tions,” said Michele Trolli, M&T’s Labs, a flexible office provider. town complex then called One HSBC will likely be very conducive to social
ments have debuted. The lobby was chief technology and operations of- M&T says cultivating a skilled Center had lost its two major ten- distancing,” he said. “And we were
refurbished. Business tenants have ficer. “As the return does occur, we tech workforce is essential to the re- ants, HSBC Bank USA and Phillips able to think about that a little bit,
moved in. And the whole complex have a lot of opportunities and a gion’s future, not just its own. That Lytle. The entire building eventu- with the extra time that we’ve had
got a new paint job. lot of leverage and a lot of options line of thinking opens up the po- ally emptied out, leaving its future in so you know I think we’ll get back
But there’s no denying M&T will to bring people back in a very slow, tential to train more of the people – question. slowly. We won’t be first. But my
bring a surge of energy and workers measured way when the time is women, veterans and people of color The tech hub will provide new di- sense is you’ll see groups of us come
to the complex when the bank decides right.” – who are historically under-repre- rection. All that awaits is the green- back together as we go throughout
the time is right. M&T has projected What makes the tech hub sig- sented in tech. light from M&T to move in. the course of the year.”
moving 1,000 employees into the nificant isn’t just what it means for M&T has made the tower the “This is a place where we’re not
building and increasing that figure to M&T’s operations. home base for its new Tech Acade- trying to be first, we’re trying to be
1,500 within three years. The bank wants the tech hub to my. The academy has just launched safe, the safest,” said Rene Jones, Related: See more photos
M&T officials have remained become a magnet for like-minded an initiative to provide free tech M&T’s chairman and CEO. “We’re of M&T Bank’s new tech hub
steadfast in their commitment to businesses to move into the tower, to training for thousands of local operating today in a way that sort
the tech hub, even as the pandemic promote development of the region’s workers hurt economically by the of meets our customers’ needs and I on Page 7

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 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 3

Banking

Derek Gee/Buffalo News

Social distancing markers on the floor at the KeyBank branch on East Delevan Avenue are a sign of how the Covid-19 pandemic has forever changed how people do their banking.

You may never go inside your bank again

By Matt Glynn their branch networks. Five Star Bank closed six 2% to 3% of its branches an-
N E WS BUSI N E S S R EPORT E R
• Some banks will add branches last year and one nually. “We plan to accelerate
branches, in strategically sen- early this year, although it this pace in 2021,” said Chris-

T
he Covid-19 pan-
demic changed how
many people do their
banking, and the in-
dustry will probably never be
the same.
Many banks temporar-
ily restricted access to their
branch lobbies last year, re-
quiring customers to make ap-
pointments. Meanwhile, digi-
tal transactions exploded.
What will banking look
like after the pandemic? Here
are some trends to watch for:
• Many banks will shrink
sible spots.
• The purpose of branches
will continue to evolve, with
greater emphasis on customer
meetings.
• Digitalization will be
more important.
• Bank consolidation could
resume.
Smaller networks
Branch consolidation was
a story last year. Northwest
Derek Gee/Buffalo News Bank closed one of every
As customers do more of their banking online or through five of its branches, includ-
ATM machines, bank branches are shifting to a new role. ing three in the Buffalo area.
didn’t close any in the Buffalo topher Gorman, the bank’s
area. chairman and CEO, at a
KeyBank plans to close Goldman Sachs presentation.
more branches this year, but In short, many banks are
hasn’t specified how the Buf- looking to trim costs and
falo area might be affected. constantly evaluate how big
Key has the most branches of of a branch network they
any bank in the region. need.
In recent years, Key has
consolidated an average of See Banking on Page 4
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 4 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
The Bank on Buffalo branch on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Niagara Falls. Bank on Buffalo is moving forward with its plan to expand the growth of its branch network.
Bank branches’ new job: financial advising
BANKING • from Page 3
New, strategic
branches
Amid the closings, there
are openings.
Five Star plans to open
two more Buffalo locations
this spring, in South Buffalo
and the Elmwood Village.
The Warsaw-based bank is
determined to make greater
inroads in urban centers like
Buffalo and Rochester.
Evans Bank is preparing
to add an East Side branch,
in the Westminster Commons
development. “We believe
that this project will play an
integral role in the renais-
sance of the East Side,” said
David Nasca, Evans’ presi-
dent and CEO.
Alden State Bank has re-
vived plans for a third loca-
tion, in Clarence, scheduled to
open this spring.
Bank on Buffalo this
month was preparing to open
a new branch in Amherst, the
11th in its network. The bank,
a division of CNB Financial,
is also developing plans for a
smaller branch at the North-
land complex on the East Side
later this year.
Martin Griffith, Bank on
Buffalo’s president, said some
might have assumed the bank
would slow the growth of its
branch network after acquir-
ing the Bank of Akron last
year. “Nothing could be fur-
ther from the truth,” he said.
“We’re moving forward on
future branch site selections
right now.”
Griffith said Bank on Buf-
falo needs more deposits to
fuel its expected loan growth,
and branches are essential to
collecting deposits.
New-look branches
New branches tend to have
fewer teller windows, more
places for customers to meet
with staff, and less overall
space.
Banks are adapting to how
customers use branches. Key-
Bank’s Gorman said custom-
ers still look to branches for
“moment of truth” situations,
to meet with advisers about
sending a child to college, buy-
Devale Jackson, vice President and branch manager, keeps tabs on business at her work station in the KeyBank branch
on East Delevan Avenue at Grider. KeyBank has the most branches of any bank in the region.
M&T Bank calls its branch at 1300 Jefferson Ave. the
“Jefferson Marketplace” to serve Buffalo’s East Side.
ing a home or planning retire-
ment.
Bank on Buffalo built a
brand-new branch in Niagara
Falls and opened it just over
a year ago. It’s about 2,800
square feet, smaller than the
4,000 or 5,000 square-foot
branches of the past.
Banking
Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News
“If we can cut down the
size of an office, that doesn’t
mean that we’re reducing the
services,” Griffith said. Bank
on Buffalo has also installed
enhanced ATMs, allowing
customers to talk to a live em-
ployee on the screen during
extended hours.
Evans Bank is preparing to add an East Side branch in the
Westminster Commons development.
Digital explosion
The Covid-19 pandemic
drove home how important
it was for banks to have a
competitive digital product,
as customers conducted more
transactions from phones,
tablets and computers. Banks
John Hickey/Buffalo News
without a good digital product
risked getting left behind.
“The pandemic accelerated
consumers’ move to digital
and much of this adoption,
we believe, is permanent,”
Gorman said at the Goldman
Sachs conference. In the third
quarter, first-time digital de-
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
posits at Key tripled.
About 60% of Key’s cli-
ents are now digitally active,
Gorman said. He previously
estimated the pandemic had
accelerated Key’s digital trans-
formation by as much as five
years.
Other banks also say their
own investments in technology
are paying off, as customers
conduct an increasing number
of transactions electronically.
They turned to digital alter-
natives like never before, and
banks aren’t expecting that
trend to fade away even as the
pandemic recedes.
More mergers?
Time will tell if, after the
pandemic, more banks decide
they are better off being sold
than staying independent.
M&T is constantly a source
of speculation as a poten-
tial buyer. M&T for years
was making acquisitions, but
hasn’t made such a deal since
agreeing to buy New Jersey-
based Hudson City in 2012.
(The bank completed the deal
in 2015, following delays due
to regulatory issues.)
René Jones, M&T’s chair-
man and CEO, didn’t tip his
hand about M&T’s plans in
comments at a Goldman
Sachs presentation.
“I think the banking indus-
try will continue to consoli-
date,” he said. “At the heart
of that consolidation in the
long term will be your ability
to win customers and have
a good customer experience,
and to keep pace with the in-
vestments that are necessary
to do that.”
Jones indicated M&T will
stick with its pragmatic ap-
proach to deal-making.
“At the end of the day for
us, we believe the primary
asset in banking is the core
checking account,” he said.
“We think there’s lots of op-
portunity to take M&T Bank
and our experience and what
we do into communities that
don’t have an M&T Bank.
“We will continually look
for partnerships that allow us
to add value,” Jones said. “But
we won’t go somewhere for
the sake of going there. It has
to be a place where we can
add value.”
 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 5

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6 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
“People are really embracing the idea that more inclusion is going to result in a better community and better health and better results from a business perspective,” says René F.
Jones, chairman and CEO of M&T Bank, in regard to increasing diversity in Buffalo Niagara businesses.
M&T’s Jones says Buffalo hasn’t lost
anything – and momentum is building
By Matt Glynn
N E WS BUSI N E S S R EPORT E R
R
ené F. Jones can’t
wait to see what
M&T Bank’s “tech
hub” at Seneca One
tower turns into, once the
bank moves in.
On a Sunday in Decem-
ber, the bank’s chairman
and CEO stopped in to look
around the new offices. He
then sat in the common area
of the revitalized complex,
as residents of the Seneca
One apartments passed by.
“Even on a Sunday, it
was active,” he said. “I can’t
imagine what it’s going to
look like as we are sort of
able to formally get back to-
gether post-Covid.”
Q: What will it take for
the region to bounce back
stronger after the pandemic?
A: Clearly there are
places in our community
that have borne the brunt
of the pandemic. Bars, res-
taurants and people who
are providing services have
been hit much, much harder
than others. In some ways,
we’ve had a disproportion-
ate impact early in the year
on unemployment, when un-
employment was really high,
just because of the makeup
of the industry here.
Of course, the under-
served areas were hit much
harder. We saw that they
were affected by Covid
early on much harder and
in things like (the Paycheck
Protection Program) across
the country, but also here,
did not necessarily have
the systems that were built
to provide them access to
things.
On the flip side, what’s
fascinating is, you have to
remember there are lots of
people in lots of industries
that are having record years,
where the economy, based
on the response of either fis-
cal stimulus or the monetary
policy of the Fed, has gener-
ated a windfall, lots of cash,
or a need. If you’re making
personal protection equip-
ment and switching from
one [type of] manufacturing
to meet some of the needs
that are out there – you may
have had a tremendous year.
What underlies all of this
in my mind is, we’ve prob-
ably accelerated in terms of
innovation [at M&T] at least
five years. At the bank, we
saw just rapid rates of adop-
tion of digital services that
we offer, across the board. …
That innovation, I think, is
going to be the backdrop for
lots of opportunity for com-
munities like Buffalo, if we
are able to embrace this.
Q: What kind of an im-
pact can M&T’s tech hub
have on a turnaround?
A: I can’t overstate how
pleased I am with the tech
hub and tech development. I
do know it’s delayed, but the
more we’re able to see it to-
day, and see the capabilities,
the more we’re able to see
the companies that are mov-
ing in, against the backdrop
of this experience we’ve
all had as a community of
“My expectation is, you’re going to see
a vibrancy when we’re all able to get back
together, as the vaccine does its work, and
we’re able to kind of look beyond Covid.”
– René F. Jones, M&T CEO
adversity, and finding our
way to learn new ways to do
what we do. That has really,
I think, increased the aware-
ness around why modern
skill sets are really impor-
tant to our economy.
Our ability to attract
more people, our ability to
have them work not just in
banking, but into health
care – I think it’s a tremen-
dous jumping-off point for
us.
My expectation is, you’re
going to see a vibrancy when
we’re all able to get back to-
gether, as the vaccine does
its work, and we’re able to
kind of look beyond Covid.
I don’t think we’ve lost
anything there. I think
there’s lots of underlying
momentum going on.
Q: How do diversity and
inclusion in the workforce
figure into a comeback?
A: It’s not easy to sort of
win this race for relevance
that we’re in. There’s lots
of choices people have for
where they want to be.
From an internal per-
spective, it’s really, really
important that we embrace
the talent that we already
Buffalo Niagara Leaders
have, in particular people
who have the aptitude to do
things but maybe have not
had the opportunity.
A really important lever
for us is looking inside, in
the community. And then to
look to the high schools, and
they’re our homegrown tal-
ent, and to the universities,
to attract more and more of
those individuals to stay.
As important is that,
we’re going to find that the
workforce of today and to-
morrow is really interested
in being places that stand
for building community, and
that stand for places that are
inclusive, and that where ev-
erybody belongs.
To the extent that we
don’t do that, I think it’ll
be another area where cit-
ies that are not focusing on
diversity and inclusion will
be left behind. That’s just re-
ally, really clear to me, in the
race for talent and the race
to be a community that’s re-
ally relevant.
Q: Are other area compa-
nies following suit on those
points?
A: I think we have a
great core here in Buffalo.
When I think back to the
Greater Buffalo Racial Equi-
ty Roundtable – at the time,
it might have been a little
less clear what they were
thinking about. But that set
the foundation for lots of
people to be able to partici-
pate, and we’re seeing it in
spades.
Oftentimes we look to
the big companies, in this
market places like M&T,
but there is no shortage of
other companies that are
smaller that are working on
job training initiatives, that
are focusing on issues on the
East Side, that are working
on supplier diversity issues.
Now what you’re seeing is
people are really embracing
the idea that more inclusion
is going to result in a bet-
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
ter community and better They’ve sort of also borne the parties that can make
health and better results the downstream brunt of a difference in a room and
from a business perspective. unemployment and those begin to work together to
Q: Part of the tech hub’s types of things. solve those problems. So I
goal was to attract like- The way we react to that, think even though there is
minded companies. How if we react to it in the right some adversity and some
has that worked out? interest of the community, I hard work ahead, I think
A: The underlying trends think that we could be fine, that we’re probably very
are just super inspiring. but that’s a tough one. well positioned to tackle this
There’s Odoo, Lighthouse Buffalo has a unique problem.
Technologies and 43North ability to work together to But I’m really bullish on
moving over there. Remem- overcome those problems. Buffalo and where we’re go-
ber, we’re trying to stimu- It’s very easy for us to get ing coming out of this.
late the tech ecosystem.
And if you combine that
with the successes that
have happened, which are HOME OFFICE &
just tremendous now, if you BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
think about 43North, Squire
and what they’ve been able
to do, ACV Auctions and the
maturity and growth rate
of that company coming
along, SomaDetect – there’s
just a vibrancy and a success
rate that I think that only a
few people could envision.
And as we watch that come
together, it’s really starting
to get lots of other people to
believe.
Think about some of the
smaller, innovative compa-
nies that are out there. … millingtonlockwood.com
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of the companies that have
gone through there that are
run by women. ... The level
of diversity just is … And we
don’t even talk about it, be-
Reimagine
cause that’s the new state of
affairs. … All the dialogue is
about, are you winning, are
you succeeding, are you hir-
Banking.
ing more people?
Q: What obstacles re-
main for the region’s econo-
my to bounce back?
A: Number one is the vi-
rus. We still have a ways to
go. We’ve got to figure out
how to get the rate of virus
down. We have to figure out
how to help our health care
providers provide the vac- Did you know Great Erie is
cine and get it to the right
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I think that private-pub-
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 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 7

Banking

On the web: For more photos, go to buffalonews.com/gallery

Union electrician Ricky Acosta of IPL runs cable in M&T Bank’s new customer-facing area on the ground floor of the Seneca One tower as the iconic building come back to life.

A tech magnet takes shape

PHOTOS BY DER EK GEE / BU F FA L O N E WS

M&T Bank’s new customer-facing area on the ground floor of the Seneca One tower was under
construction in December, top. Employees will enjoy a great view of Buffalo from a small breakout
space inside the new tech hub, top right, while brand-new computer monitors stand ready for use.

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8 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus

Fact Book

Where the new jobs will be in financial services

Business and financial operations jobs are expected to grow by 8% through 2026

Employment Change Annual Wages ($) - 2020

Title 2016 2026 Net Percent Mean Median Entry Experienced Employment Prospects NYS Rate
Accountants and Auditors 5,590 6,210 620 11.1% $74,910 $67,880 $49,920 $87,400 Very Favorable 16.1%
Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate 420 470 50 11.9% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 14.6%
Budget Analysts 120 130 10 8.3% $76,840 $74,570 $59,700 $85,410 Favorable 11.9%
Credit Analysts 490 500 10 2.0% $89,670 $78,930 $56,660 $106,170 Unfavorable 7.5%
Financial Analysts 1,060 1,110 50 4.7% n/a n/a n/a n/a Favorable 11.7%
Personal Financial Advisors 1,320 1,450 130 9.8% $121,490 $97,110 $61,400 $151,530 Very Favorable 15.5%
Insurance Underwriters 230 200 -30 -13.0% $100,750 $78,580 $51,300 $125,480 Very Unfavorable -8.2%
Financial Examiners 180 190 10 5.6% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 9.8%
Credit Counselors 170 190 20 11.8% $60,270 $54,220 $38,560 $71,130 Favorable 17.9%
Loan Officers 1,010 1,050 40 4.0% $69,920 $60,850 $40,400 $84,680 Favorable 8.2%
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents 360 370 10 2.8% $77,310 $78,520 $54,030 $88,950 Unfavorable 0.4%
Tax Preparers 220 260 40 18.2% $39,360 $25,990 $24,780 $46,650 Very Favorable 16.8%
Financial Specialists, All Other 220 240 20 9.1% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 9.6%
Financial Clerks 19,090 19,160 70 0.4% N/A N/A N/A N/A 4.4%
Bill and Account Collectors 4,100 4,080 -20 -0.5% $34,160 $31,840 $27,580 $37,450 Unfavorable 4.3%
Billing and Posting Clerks 2,820 3,230 410 14.5% $42,740 $40,780 $33,680 $47,270 Very Favorable 22.4%
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 8,740 8,720 -20 -0.2% $41,870 $40,430 $30,660 $47,470 Unfavorable 2.5%
Gaming Cage Workers 60 70 10 16.7% $27,890 $25,770 $24,544 $29,660 Favorable #N/A
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks 870 870 0 0.0% $46,820 $45,180 $33,100 $53,690 Favorable 3.0%
Procurement Clerks 360 340 -20 -5.6% $44,220 $44,770 $31,850 $50,400 Very Unfavorable -1.5%
Tellers 2,010 1,700 -310 -15.4% $32,410 $31,300 $26,550 $35,330 Unfavorable -9.2%
Financial Clerks, All Other 140 150 10 7.1% $43,300 $39,210 $32,730 $48,580 Favorable #N/A
Legal Occupations 6,270 6,850 580 9.3% $87,720 $67,300 $45,490 $108,830 11.5%
Lawyers, Judges, and Related Workers 4,470 4,820 350 7.8% N/A N/A N/A N/A 11.1%
Lawyers 3,970 4,280 310 7.8% $105,500 $89,960 $59,600 $128,460 Favorable 11.5%
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers 100 100 0 0.0% $110,450 $108,100 $87,410 $121,970 Unfavorable 4.0%
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates 370 390 20 5.4% $159,730 $161,500 $127,320 $175,930 Favorable 5.6%
Legal Support Workers 1,800 2,030 230 12.8% N/A N/A N/A N/A 12.6%
Paralegals and Legal Assistants 1,280 1,480 200 15.6% $49,280 $50,050 $34,370 $56,740 Very Favorable 16.0%
Court Reporters 120 130 10 8.3% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 3.4%
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers 200 220 20 10.0% $64,560 $57,090 $38,920 $77,370 Favorable 2.1%
Legal Support Workers, All Other 200 200 0 0.0% $74,890 $61,240 $45,830 $89,420 Unfavorable 6.6%
Source: State Labor Department

Financial services growth jumped in 2019 Finance and insurance pay is above average Finance and insurance jobs decline
Finance and real estate sector grows for 2nd straight year Annual pay rose 2.5% in 2019 Hiring slid for the second time in three years
16% $80,000 7%
14% 6%
$70,000 5%
12%
$60,000 4%
10%
3%
8% $50,000 2%
6% 1%
$40,000
4% 0%
2% $30,000 -1%
0% $20,000 -2%
-2% -3%
$10,000 -4%
-4%
-6% $0 -5%
’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20
Adjusted for inflation Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Annual change for trailing 12 months beginning in October
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Source: State Labor Department

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 The Buffalo News

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 2 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
The frenetic sales pace of the past decade – driven by pent-up demand after
the last recession and record-low interest rates for a prolonged period– has steadily
In many neighborhoods like Normal Avenue, foreground, on the West Side, homeowners are electing to stay put and upgrade their houses rather than endure the homebuying fracas.
When will the home sellers return?
Jonathan D. Epstein
COMMEN TA RY
I
f there’s one burning question
that real estate agents share as
2021 begins, it’s a simple one:
When will the home sellers
return?
Unfortunately, there’s no easy
answer. And until sellers return, it’s
likely to mean home prices will keep
rising, and the challenge for house
hunters to find a home they want to
buy will remain intense.
“As soon as a good house comes
on the market on a good street, bin-
go! It is gone,” said Susie Lenahan,
a longtime agent at M.J. Peterson
Corp.
That’s because, for at least the
last four years, the housing market
locally – and nationally – has been
characterized by an ever-increasing
shortage of available homes for sale.
So there’s less for buyers to choose
from. And since not all homes are
created – or built and maintained –
equally, the buyers have flocked to
those that are more attractive and
updated, in desirable neighborhoods,
or in the best school districts.
The result has been insane com-
petition and bidding wars for the
most popular homes, with dozens
of people traipsing through open
houses and tours, and driving prices
through the roof – not to mention the
heightened stress level for buyers.
That’s great for sellers, but usu-
ally leaves behind many more losers
in the homebuying battle, who then
move on to the next house, and so
on. And it’s only gotten worse.
It’s a basic numbers game.
The wildly frenetic sales pace of
the past decade – driven by pent-up
demand after the last recession and
record-low interest rates for a pro-
longed period – has steadily eaten
away at the large surplus of homes
that existed 10 years ago. At that
time, there were more than enough
homes on the market to cover more
than six months of activity – a
eaten away at the large surplus of homes that existed 10 years ago.
John and Lori Wood of Hamburg go through an open house run by Deacon Tasker of Hunt Real Estate in
Hamburg earlier this month. For buyers, lack of inventory has created intense competition for quality homes.
healthy balance.
But the rate of depletion has been
rapid, far outpacing the number of
homes newly added to the listings
each month, creating a huge mis-
match.
So where nearly 6,800 homes
were listed on the Western New York
market in July 2011, today that inven-
tory has fallen to less than 1,600 as
of November – a 77% drop, and the
lowest on record from the Buffalo
Niagara Association of Realtors. At
the current rate of sales, there’s only
enough homes available for a month
and a half of buying.
That’s an unsustainable imbal-
ance in a market that still seems
to have insatiable demand. And it’s
Real Estate
driving some buyers to become even
more aggressive with their bids, or
to give up altogether and either wait
until later or else turn to new home
builders, who have been having one
of their best years, despite the rav-
ages of the Covid-19 pandemic and
the resulting recession.
But it’s also prompting real estate
agents and brokerage firms to delve
deeper into the “why” – or rather
“why not” – of potential sellers not
listing their homes, and to get cre-
ative about changing that.
Some homeowners have already
made their move, or took advantage
of the low interest rates to refinance,
so they have no reason or incentive
to sell.
James P. McCoy/Buffalo News
Some have invested in home im-
provements and additions, choosing
to enhance their current homes for
the long term – even into their senior
years – rather than endure the home-
buying fracas.
Some are staying put because
they don’t have confidence in their
job status or financial situation, or
even because of Covid-19 fears.
Those reasons are harder to ad-
dress, at least for brokers. Even with
a new administration in Washing-
ton, economic and health concerns
aren’t going away anytime soon,
not before enough people are vac-
cinated so that the economy can
fully reopen without concern about
spreading disease. And that’s out of
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
the hands of real estate agents.
For many potential sellers, the
holdup is simply that they don’t
know where they would go, or they
fear not being able to find or afford a
new house because of their finances
or the competition. They’re afraid to
be stuck without a place to live. So
they hold off.
That’s something that agents can
target. So brokers are trying to coun-
ter the problem through aggressive
outreach to potential sellers, trying
to persuade them to tap the market
now.
To provide extra encouragement,
they’re citing various tools the sell-
ers already have at their disposal, or
programs offered by the brokerage
firms, to make the process easier.
For example, sellers can already
control the terms of their transac-
tion, particularly the timing of the
closing. So they can insist on more
time to find a new house, said Char-
lie Hunt, chief operating officer for
Hunt Real Estate Corp. Buyers are so
eager for every advantage over their
competition that many are providing
sellers with that leeway, he added.
“This should give them some
peace of mind to go ahead and list
without having found their new
home yet,” Hunt said.
Both Hunt and Howard Hanna
Real Estate Services – the two domi-
nant brokerage firms in Western
New York – also offer programs to
reassure sellers.
Hanna’s Buy-Before-You-Sell lets a
customer use the equity in their cur-
rent home toward a down payment
on a new one, while Hunt’s ERA
Seller Security Plan pledges to buy a
customer’s home if it’s not sold with-
in a set period of time. Other major
brokerage franchise networks have
similar efforts.
In the end, though, there’s only so
much that the real estate industry or
anyone else can do, no matter how
many incentives they offer. After all,
you just can’t force someone to do
what they just don’t want or need to
do.
“We’re really not sure. We’re try-
ing to figure it out,” said agent John
Ostrowski of Howard Hanna Real
Estate Services. “We sure hope there
will be more inventory coming.”

Developer Douglas Jemal says the way to reverse the region’s population exodus is to bring in new businesses, especially technology companies.
Jemal says region needs to step up
to lure technology companies here
By Jonathan D. Epstein
N E WS BUSI N E S S R EPORT E R
S
ince he first surged
into the Buffalo mar-
ket four years ago to
purchase the vacant
Seneca One Tower out of
foreclosure, Washington
developer Douglas Jemal
has become one of Buffalo’s
dominant real estate play-
ers, and a major force in the
city’s revival.
Through a combina-
tion of grit and determina-
tion, mixed with hands-on
creativity and unbridled
confidence in what he is do-
ing, Jemal has taken on the
biggest real estate challeng-
es facing not only Buffalo
but also one of its largest
suburbs.
He is spending more than
$150 million to bring the
38-story Seneca One back to
life, anchored by a technolo-
gy hub for M&T Bank Corp.
that is already luring other
employers to the complex.
The 1.2 million-square-
foot complex also features
115 apartments and a host
of amenities and retail op-
tions. Around 70% of the
apartments are occupied,
just months after opening,
and M&T’s space in the two
sprawling lower levels and
11 upstairs floors is all but
ready for the bank to move
in, once the Covid-19 pan-
demic clears.
Jemal also purchased the
Statler City complex – which
he plans to remake into a
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residential, hotel and hospi-
tality center, including gam-
ing. He bought the former
Buffalo Police headquarters
on Franklin Street, which
will become 131 apartments.
Most recently, he added
the Hyatt Regency Buffalo
hotel to his holdings.
He’s also proposed a
new nine-story parking and
apartment building next to
Seneca One. And he’s taking
on the eventual redevelop-
ment of the Boulevard Mall
“We have fabulous housing stock. We have a
great environment to raise a family. It’s afford-
able. Now all we need is to bring industry back,
and the industry that’s out there is technology.”
– Douglas Jemal, developer
in Amherst.
Q: What should Buffalo
Niagara do to emerge from
Covid-19 and the recession it
caused as a stronger region?
A: Have Douglas do
what he’s doing. I do what I
do, making things happen.
Construction’s going on,
buildings are getting built.
Buffalo people are working,
employees are working. It’s
the spirit of Buffalo.
If you think positive
things, positive things will
happen. The whole world
is going through Covid and
everyone is sick and tired of
it and wanting to get back to
SECURITY ALARMS
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The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
Buffalo Niagara Leaders
work, sitting down at a res-
taurant and interacting with
people.
That’s what we need
to happen. If the vaccine
makes that happen, great.
Life has to go on. And
there’s no city that can’t
kick back and get this going
more than the city of Buf-
falo.
Q: How are you so confi-
dent in Buffalo?
A: Anything I’m going
to do, I have confidence in it
or else I wouldn’t do it. I do
it out of passion. And if I’m
going someplace, I’m going
to leave my mark. I didn’t
go there just to put a paint-
brush in my hand and paint
a little dot.
I love Buffalo because
Buffalo is a community. The
people of Buffalo love their
city and take pride in it, and
that is contagious.
What also gives me
confidence is we started in
the dugout, with a 10-yard,
20-yard penalty. We had no
place to go but up. When
you take markets like Wash-
ington and New York City
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and San Francisco, they al-
ready reached the pinnacle.
They had no place to go but
down. We had no place to
go but up, because we were
down. And I see that.
Q: What are the risks?
A: It’s a world situation.
This certainly is new to all
of us. I don’t have the an-
swers to what’s going on, but
I’m willing to wake up every
morning and plow right
through it. Even if it’s a foot
of snow.
Q: How does Buffalo
Niagara compare to other
markets where you are ac-
tive?
A: I see the same oppor-
tunities that I saw in D.C. 30
years ago. When D.C. was
controlled by the control
board when it was a dys-
functional city and nobody
was developing there. It was
bankrupt. The federal gov-
ernment put a control board
to run the city.
Fortunately, Buffalo is
not in that situation. It was,
so you really have no place
to go but up.
I can’t tell you how many
people stop me in the air-
port, stop me in the streets,
and tell me, “Thank you for
what you’re doing for Buf-
falo.” I can’t tell you how
happy all the contractors
are to be working and hav-
ing jobs. I can’t tell you the
sense of pride they take in
everything they do. It’s abso-
lutely wonderful. And that’s
what motivates me to do a
better job.
CONSULT
ASSESS
RECOVERY
MANAGE
ASSURE
BU-1606546
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
Q: Any recommenda-
tions for government and
leadership?
A: Certainly, be pro-de-
velopment. Things getting
done.
These are all major devel-
opments for downtown, that
were dormant for 50 years.
I have the Bugsy Segal
philosophy: Build it and they
will come. You have to see
something. You can’t just
talk about it.
We’ve got 2 million peo-
ple during good times at Ca-
nalside, for concerts and the
children’s museum and the
boats and the plantings, the
little gardens they planted.
That’s a significant amount
of people to come every year.
People say they cannot be-
lieve what Canalside looks
like.
I’ve expanded that to
Seneca One. We have to
expand that all the way up
Main Street, to the Medical
Campus, to Niagara Square,
to the Statler, to the Hyatt.
Now look at what we have.
We’re over 70% leased
at the residential at Seneca
One – with Covid, with M&T
not even occupying their
tech center or bringing in
their 1,500 new applicants
to run that tech center. And
the residents are loving liv-
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ing there. All the reviews are
five-star reviews. The rat-
ings are phenomenal.
Q: Where do businesses
come into the picture?
A: You want to increase
your population. Your popu-
lation is decreasing.
Big companies are mov-
ing away from these big
expensive cities. So if you
incentivize these big com-
panies with tax breaks, for
bringing employees to Buf-
falo, once you get them to
Buffalo, they’re going to stay.
So you have to figure out
how to reverse the exodus.
The only way to reverse the
exodus is if you’re bringing
in new businesses, technol-
ogy companies, Microsoft,
Google.
These guys are expand-
ing like crazy. Make it a
technology hub.
This is what my vision
and M&T’s vision is, not just
for M&T, but for anybody.
And why shouldn’t it be?
Municipalities need to
act like businesses. How do
they attract businesses? No
different than in retail, how
do they serve customers? All
these things, it just can’t be
business as usual, because
other areas are vying for
these large corporations that
hire young, bright people
and pay them great salaries
to bring them into their mu-
nicipalities.
The world changed dra-
matically, and we have to
change with the world.
Government can do an
awful lot. It can’t just sit
back and watch the decline
in population in Western
New York. We have fabu-
lous housing stock. We have
a great environment to
raise a family. It’s afford-
able. Now all we need is to
bring industry back, and the
industry that’s out there is
technology.
M&T is to be commended
for the commitment they
made to Buffalo and never
leaving Buffalo and deciding
to put that tech hub in Buf-
falo. I’m sure if they wanted
to go to Nashville or Austin,
they would have been given
tons of money. Those are
the things that government
should be doing in Western
New York.
Even in these trying
times, we’re leasing like
crazy. If you build the right
product, you will do busi-
ness. It proves everything.
I’ll do my part to do ev-
erything I can for that city,
but it has to be a united
front. Government needs to
show that they’re open for
business to attract these ma-
jor companies, and they can
springboard off M&T’s tech
center.
We really have to rally
around what they’ve com-
mitted themselves to. We
have to keep letting other
tech companies know that
Buffalo is trying to become
a tech hub.
The reality of it all, we
have to re-create ourselves,
into whatever the flavor is of
the day, which is technology.
BU-1608571
4 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 5

PROSPECTUS: DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT

Plenty of action
in downtown
development Project: Pilgrim Village
Address: 1100 Michigan Ave.
Cost: $50 million
Developer: SAA-EVI
Description: First phase of redeveloping
Pilgrim Village by constructing five-story
building with 132 affordable multifamily
apartments on 2.7 acres and second three-
and four-story building with 98 senior
apartments on 1.9 acres, for a total of 230
units at corner of Michigan and Best.
B y Jon a t h a n D. E p s t e i n / N E WS BUSI N E S S R EPORT ER
Completion: Uncertain

D
espite the rampage of the coronavirus pandemic, downtown Buffalo’s develop-
ment scene continued its march of new and ongoing projects that will change the
landscape in years to come. ¶ From Canalside and Silo City to the Buffalo Niaga-
ra Medical Campus, from Michigan Avenue to Waterfront Village, these are just a
few of the projects to watch in 2021.

1. Seneca One tower

FERRY B U F FA L O One Seneca St.
2. Statler-Hyatt Regency
EE 107 Delaware Ave.-2 Fountain Plaza
ES
RICHMOND

JEFFERSON

N
GE
3. Silo City
139 Buffalo River Place
RE
A MO 4. Skyway Loop
M A IN

SYC
WAY 61 Terrace
BROAD
FILLMORE

5. Trico Building Derek Gee/Buffalo News

IGA N

BAILEY

791 Washington St.

Project: J.N. Adam Description: Redevelopment of 350,000-square-
MICH

6. 201 Ellicott
WILLIAM 201 Ellicott St. Building foot former AM&A’s Department Store into
CLIN
TON 7. Police Apartments Address: 377 Main St. 286,061-square-foot mixed-use project with 49
74 Franklin St. Cost: $50 million apartments on the top six floors, 85,000 square
Developer: 377 Main feet of office space on floors two through four and
KeyBank SE 8. Pilgrim Village ground-floor retail space.
N EC 1100 Michigan Ave. Realty
Center A Completion: 2023/2024
SO 9. J.N. Adam Building
U 377 Main St.
TH
PA Derek Gee/Buffalo News
Lake R K
10. Heritage Point
Erie Canalside South Aud Block Description: Renovate and revive 38-story landmark tower in downtown Buffalo into a new technology office hub anchored by M&T
Project: Seneca One tower
11. The Lawrence Address: One Seneca St. Bank Corp., with 115 apartments, plus restaurants and retail on the lower levels aimed at creating a community gathering place.
983 Michigan Ave. Status: Ongoing
Cost: $150 million
AB

12. West End Condominium

BO

Developer: Douglas Jemal’s Douglas Development Corp.

T

280 Lakefront Blvd.

T

Project: Heritage Point Description: Dual six-story mixed-use build-

Address: Canalside South
Aud Block
Cost: $30 million
Developer: Sinatra & Co.
Real Estate
ings on the South Aud Block at Canalside
near Children’s Museum, with 103,000 square
feet of space, 61 apartments, offices, an Expo
Market Hall and additional retail space.
Completion: 2022

Derek Gee/Buffalo News Mark Mulville/Buffalo News Derek Gee/Buffalo News

Project: Statler/Hyatt Regency Description: Renovate and reopen the former
Address: 107 Delaware Ave./2 Fountain Plaza Statler Hotel building with apartments and possi-
Cost: More than $100 million bly hospitality, as well as gaming if it is legalized,
Developer: Douglas Jemal’s Douglas along with nearby Hyatt Regency Buffalo Hotel,
Development Corp. with a focus on convention business.
Status: Ongoing
Project: Silo City
Address: 139 Buffalo River Place
Cost: $65 million
Developer: Generation Development
Group
Description: Convert vacant former American Mill & Project: Skyway Loop Description: Proposed nine-story building with
Warehouse structure into 168 apartments, and nearly Address: 61 Terrace 200 apartments atop a 500-space parking ramp on a
40,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space in Cost: $42 million vacant lot surrounded by a highway loop.
initial redevelopment at Silo City. Completion: End of 2022
Developer: Douglas Jemal’s Douglas
Completion: 2022
Development Corp.

Project: The Lawrence Description: Construction of new four-story

Address: 983 Michigan Ave.
Cost: $25 million
Developer: Symphony
Property Management
market-rate apartment building with 133
units in two connected wings on edge of the
Fruit Belt, across from the Buffalo Niagara
Medical Campus. Includes 78 parking spaces.
Completion: 2022

Derek Gee/Buffalo News Derek Gee/Buffalo News Derek Gee/Buffalo News Derek Gee/Buffalo News

Project: Trico Building Description: Redevelop historic manufacturing building into Project: 201 Ellicott Description: Construction of 220,000-square-foot Project: Police Apartments Description: Convert former Buffalo Police headquar- Project: West End Description: Construction of 20
a 480,000-square-foot project with 133 apartments, 105-room development on 2.5-acre former 375-space parking lot, ters into 130 studio and one-bedroom apartments. Condominium three-story for-sale townhomes on last
Address: 791 Washington St. Address: 201 Ellicott St. Address: 74 Franklin St. remaining significant parcel in Water-
extended-stay hotel, 123,000 square feet of commercial space, with 201 affordable apartments and a 20,000-square-foot Completion: Summer 2021 Address: 280 Lakefront Blvd.
Cost: $87 million Cost: $50 million Cost: $30 million front Village.
12,000 square feet of retail space and 230 indoor parking spaces. urban grocery run by Braymiller Market. Cost: $20 million
Developer: Krog Corp. Developer: Ciminelli Real Estate Developer: Douglas Jemal’s Douglas Completion: 2022
Completion: On hold Corp. Completion: Spring/summer 2021 Development Corp. Developer: Ciminelli Real
Estate Corp.
6 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
Rahwa Ghirmatzion, executive director of PUSH Buffalo, says people around the region need to think outside the box and encourage a new generation of leaders to emerge.
Thinking outside the box to ensure
social system has ‘something for everyone’
By Mark Sommer
N E WS STA F F R EPORT ER
R
ahwa Ghirmatzion
sees a world of pos-
sibility for Buffalo
Niagara after it re-
bounds from the pandemic.
Social change is some-
thing Ghirmatzion, executive
director of PUSH Buffalo,
is deeply committed to. She
has worked with the West
Side organization since 2013
– the last two in her current
job – to mobilize support
for affordable and sustain-
able housing in transition
neighborhoods, expand local
hiring opportunities and ad-
vance economic justice.
Ghirmatzion, an emi-
gre from Eritrea, said the
city and the region’s ability
to soar in the coming years
will depend on creative,
out-of-the-box approaches
and the opportunity for a
new generation of leaders to
emerge.
Q: What needs to be done
to improve the quality of life
for more of Buffalo’s resi-
dents and to bring economic
vitality to underinvested
parts of the city?
A: In Buffalo we have
a concentration of poverty
and we have really deep in-
equity, especially racialized
inequity.
The biggest thing I see
is that people want to keep
doing the same thing ex-
pecting different results.
What we need to do is to
really think outside the box
of what is being done, and
to do it boldly and coura-
geously.
Q: How do you assess
Buffalo’s leadership?
A: One of the major
problems in Buffalo is that
we really need to have term
limits. I think it’s impor-
tant for new ideas and new
ways of working. This is an
issue in Buffalo not just for
government, but one I see
in almost every institution,
including nonprofits.
I really believe part of
Buffalo’s problem is that we
have a lack of creativity and
imagination because people
“One of the reasons why I stay in Buffalo is
that while we have deep, deep challenges, we also
have so many incredible assets and opportunities
to really implement the solutions.”
– Rahwa Ghirmatzion,
executive director of PUSH Buffalo
are in leadership roles for
entirely too long, and they
don’t make way for new
energy to step in that may
do things differently. Espe-
cially when we are living
at a time where we have to
make a lot of pivots and not
hold on to old things or be
afraid of change.
One of the reasons why
I stay in Buffalo is that
while we have deep, deep
challenges, we also have
so many incredible assets
and opportunities to really
implement the solutions.
There are a lot of people
in this city that have really
Subscribe to The Buffalo News and save off the newsstand price.
Call (800) 777-8640 or visit www.BuffaloNews.com.
Buffalo Niagara Leaders
good ideas and know how
to implement them. There
needs to be a changing of
the guard in order for that
to really take hold.
When I came into this
position at PUSH, I said I
would be executive director
for five years and the board
really questioned that. I
said I will have been in this
organization 10 years in
some form of leadership,
and you are going to want
a younger, more creative,
more dynamic person to
take over behind me, and
if I’ve done what I was sup-
posed to do then I’ll go on
to bigger and better things,
too.
Q: PUSH, for those who
don’t know, stands for Peo-
ple United for Sustainable
Housing. What changes do
you want to see in the re-
gion’s approach to housing?
A: Our municipal and
county governments have
to push policies that can be
pro-development but are
not about displacement.
That means putting the
same amount of resources
into building affordable
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
and supportive housing, happens, there isn’t going income, mixed-amenity
which is housing for people to be as much displacement neighborhood then there
with chronic mental health as there would be other- is something for everyone.
issues or who are facing wise. That really should be the
homelessness. For any de- If you create a mixed- plan.
veloper to receive public
subsidies, there should be a
public benefit.
For example, we are
building a lot of high-end
housing in the City of Buf-
falo. That is not on par with
the amount of affordable
UNION PROUD -
and supportive housing
units, and will ultimately
cause displacement and
UNION STRONG
gentrification.
The solution is to think
of the basic human rights
SERVING WESTERN NEW YORK
BU-1608106
regarding housing, and to
rebuild our economy with
more green, sustainable
homes that are affordable.
Q: That’s been PUSH’s
strategy on the West Side.
A: You look at the West
Side now and there are all
kinds of opportunities hap-
pening, including gentri-
fication. Gentrification is
quite sneaky because even
doing things like changing
the streetscape is priming it
for big developers by mak-
ing it easier for them to in-
vest in those places.
But we feel we have
enough of a concentration
of affordable housing and a
little bit of a stronghold to
allow people who have been
there to stay there. For more than 130 years, the Carpenters union has been on
You create economic op- the cutting edge of innovation, and they continue to work at the
portunity by investing in forefront of new advancements in building today.
the people that are cur-
rently being disinvested in, The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters. It’s time
including creating job op- to build. To learn more, visit NASRCC.org
portunities to allow them
to generate some wealth.
Then, if a big development
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nasrcc.org
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BU-1607158
 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 7

Fact Book

Home sales take a hit Home prices are surging Fewer homes are up for sale
Sales are down 6.8% over the past 12 months Median sale prices are rising at fastest pace this century Listings have declined for nine straight years
18% 10% 8,000
16% 9%
7,000
14%
8%
12%
7% 6,000
10%
8% 6% 5,000
6% 5%
4% 4,000
4%
2%
0% 3% 3,000
-2% 2% 2,000
-4%
1%
-6% 1,000
-8% 0%
-10% -1% 0
’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’98 ’00 ’02 ’04 ’06 ’08 ’10 ’12 ’14 ’16 ’18 ’20
Year-to-date sales change during the previous 12 months Percent change from the preceding 12 months ending in November. Year-to-date monthly average through November for each year
Source: Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors Source: Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors Source: Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors

Where the new jobs will be in construction and trades

Conditions look favorable for a number of occupations, including janitors, cleaners, landscapers, groundskeepers, plumbers, pipe fitters, sheet metal workers and building inspectors.
Employment Change Annual Wages ($) - 2020 Employment NYS
Title 2016 2026 Net Percent Mean Median Entry Experienced Prospects Rate
Real Estate Sales Agents 700 750 50 7.1% $55,780 $49,550 $25,830 $70,760 Favorable 8.0%
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations 27,160 30,410 3,250 12.0% $32,340 $28,740 $25,050 $35,990 14.2%
Supervisors of Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Workers 2,030 2,310 280 13.8% N/A N/A N/A N/A 16.7%
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers 1,410 1,600 190 13.5% $53,250 $55,860 $39,730 $60,000 Very Favorable 16.4%
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service and Groundskeeping Workers 620 710 90 14.5% $55,700 $54,450 $38,930 $64,090 Favorable 17.4%
Building Cleaning and Pest Control Workers 19,580 21,730 2,150 11.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A 13.5%
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 13,820 15,560 1,740 12.6% $30,580 $27,650 $25,000 $33,380 Very Favorable 14.4%
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 5,630 6,010 380 6.7% $28,120 $26,160 $24,900 $29,730 Favorable 10.5%
Grounds Maintenance Workers 5,550 6,370 820 14.8% N/A N/A N/A N/A 16.0%
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 5,380 6,180 800 14.9% $33,840 $31,800 $25,370 $38,070 Very Favorable 16.1%
Construction and Extraction Occupations 28,400 30,960 2,560 9.0% $54,680 $51,740 $34,130 $64,960 12.7%
Supervisors of Construction and Extraction Workers 2,040 2,230 190 9.3% N/A N/A N/A N/A 12.1%
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers 2,040 2,230 190 9.3% $75,280 $72,470 $53,010 $86,410 Favorable 12.1%
Construction Trades Workers 22,130 24,080 1,950 8.8% N/A N/A N/A N/A 12.7%
Brickmasons and Blockmasons 580 640 60 10.3% $64,380 $67,460 $47,780 $72,680 Favorable 12.9%
Carpenters 4,210 4,470 260 6.2% $48,650 $46,330 $34,040 $55,960 Favorable 9.1%
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers 500 550 50 10.0% $45,810 $42,090 $31,630 $52,910 Favorable 14.4%
Construction Laborers 5,800 6,330 530 9.1% $40,830 $37,640 $28,180 $47,150 Favorable 12.6%
Paving, Surfacing and Tamping Equipment Operators 200 210 10 5.0% $42,550 $41,110 $36,040 $45,800 Favorable 10.7%
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators 1,180 1,270 90 7.6% $64,600 $62,200 $44,500 $74,660 Favorable 11.7%
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers 330 340 10 3.0% $47,430 $44,040 $31,960 $55,170 Unfavorable 4.8%
Electricians 2,730 2,950 220 8.1% $65,360 $64,970 $46,070 $75,000 Favorable 13.1%
Glaziers 280 310 30 10.7% $49,590 $43,720 $33,490 $57,640 Favorable 14.8%
Painters, Construction and Maintenance 1,550 1,640 90 5.8% $53,380 $54,150 $34,990 $62,570 Favorable 8.9%
Plumbers, Pipe Fitters and Steam Fitters 2,030 2,340 310 15.3% $62,190 $64,490 $38,760 $73,900 Very Favorable 20.5%
Roofers 580 650 70 12.1% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 14.0%
Sheet Metal Workers 830 920 90 10.8% $55,770 $52,990 $34,980 $66,160 Very Favorable 13.7%
Structural Iron and Steel Workers 260 290 30 11.5% $63,870 $61,750 $48,200 $71,700 Favorable 15.9%
Helpers, Construction Trades 550 620 70 12.7% N/A N/A N/A N/A 16.1%
Helpers – Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters and Steamfitters 150 180 30 20.0% $42,740 $40,780 $31,910 $48,150 Very Favorable 23.3%
Other Construction and Related Workers 3,580 3,920 340 9.5% N/A N/A N/A N/A 12.6%
Construction and Building Inspectors 720 800 80 11.1% $63,590 $60,000 $45,990 $72,390 Very Favorable 13.5%
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers 340 400 60 17.6% $62,420 $61,340 $39,280 $73,990 Very Favorable 18.4%
Highway Maintenance Workers 2,180 2,340 160 7.3% $46,450 $46,410 $35,570 $51,890 Favorable 9.3%
Source: State Labor Department

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 The Buffalo News

H E A L T H C A R E n S U N D A Y , J A N U A R Y 3 1 , 2 0 2 1

HOMEGROWN
MEDICAL
INNOVATIONS
By Scott Scanlon n Pa g e 4

DER EK GEE • BUFFA LO N EWS

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is well-known for its clinical care, research and education. Its member institutions are home to numerous medical breakthroughs.

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BU-1607378
 2 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus

Health

WNY health care focuses on Covid-19 and much more

Scott Scanlon
COMMEN TA RY

T
he novel coronavirus
pandemic became an
unexpected crisis last spring
for University at Buffalo
nursing student Nikita Caratelli and
thousands of others who experienced
the human toll of Covid-19 firsthand.
It upended her traditional educa-
tion but provided an unparalleled op-
portunity to learn and grow in ways
that will serve her well throughout
her career.
Her classwork went virtual, but
her in-person education continued
two days a week as an immediate
treatment assistant in the cardiovas-
cular intensive care unit at Mercy
Hospital of Buffalo.
“This pandemic,” she told me in
April, “has shown me the strength
of all health care workers and their
ability to put others first.”
Covid-19 continues to disrupt
and change the ways health care is
delivered across the region. It sped
the march toward greater use of
telehealth and brought more mobile
health units into neighborhoods
where lack of transportation is most
pronounced. It forged closer rela- Mark Mulville/Buffalo News
tionships between health care teams Nikita Caratelli, a registered nurse in the Mercy Hospital cardiovascular ICU, has seen firsthand the severity of the coronavirus pandemic.
often inclined to stay in their own
professional lanes in different hospi-
tal systems, universities and individ- Center and Roswell Park Compre- doing will be to create a health care tragic and troubling times – who is why social distancing is so im-
ual practices. It slowed, but failed to hensive Cancer Center launched equity task force that will be focused watched more than 1,700 die with- portant, to flatten the curve of this
stop, unrelated research. the first related experimental on making sure they are listening to out the benefit of loved ones nearby, virus.
To be sure, most in the field fo- treatments in the region, which in the community and members of all and many thousands more recover – “It upsets me to hear that some
cused on the pandemic. months that followed had an impact diverse backgrounds to determine know better. people aren’t taking this seriously,
Scientists at the Hauptman-Wood- at acute-care settings across West- the vaccination process,” Catholic All of us by now should know bet- but I have to realize that they don’t
ward Medical Research Institute, on ern New York. Health CEO Mark A. Sullivan said at ter, too. see the severity of this situation from
the Buffalo Niagara Medical Cam- Catholic Health workers also the time. “On a normal day, outside of a the hospital like us health care work-
pus, were among select labs capable tried novel therapies and testing ap- Regional health care leaders, pandemic, we always have a high ers do.”
of breaking the virus that causes proaches, including turning one of front-line workers, researchers and acuity in the intensive care units,” Caratelli started her full-time
Covid-19 into component parts, so re- its hospitals into a Covid-only facility support staff have labored during said Caratelli, who got a full-time job career during a pandemic and in
searchers developing treatments and to focus treatment and reduce virus the last 10 months amid background as a registered nurse in the Mercy recent weeks got vaccinated against
vaccines could seek ways to limit, spread. The state government tapped noise that would have people believe cardiovascular ICU after she gradu- Covid-19.
and ultimately destroy, its deadly ca- the health system to help lead Co- the pandemic has been a political ated in May. “But these patients are “I’m extremely lucky,” she told
pabilities. vid-19 vaccine distribution planning hoax and that new Covid vaccines not usually highly contagious. This me this month,” to be surrounded
UB-affiliated doctors working in the region as more vaccines be- are the latest twist in a deep-state virus does not discriminate. Health by an outstanding team of fellow
with fellow staff members at Ka- come available. plot to control our very existence. care workers are still human and nurses who have supported me im-
leida Health, Erie County Medical “One of the first things we’ll be Those trying to save lives in such run the risk of getting sick, too. That mensely.”

ROSWELL PARK
Despite the impact of COVID-19, Roswell Park
teams have been advancing projects in 10 key

A CANCER
areas. From new immunotherapy approaches to

INNOVATION
studies on e-cigarette use, these are just some
of the pioneering innovations you can expect
from Roswell Park in 2021.

ENGINE

10
ROSWELL PARK 1. Making Immunotherapy Work for More People
RESEARCH
2. Working to Reverse Deadly Inequities
ADVANCES
TO LOOK FOR IN 3. Revealing the True Benefits and Risks of E-Cigs, Heated Tobacco
2021 4. Understanding the Impact of Stress on Cancer
5. Developing Treatments for Rare Cancers
6. Removing Unneeded Opioids from Our Communities
7. Mitigating Metastasis: Understanding What Makes Cancer Spread
8. New Options for Patients with Lung Cancer
9. Finding New Uses for Existing Drugs
10. Putting a Priority on Quality of Life

Learn more at www.RoswellPark.org

BU-1606238
 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 3

Thank You
Western New York –
You Inspire Us!

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, ECMC’s frontline caregivers have
received over 60,000 meals, over 220,000 PPE and thousands of other generous donations
from our friends and neighbors from throughout our region.
From kind elementary schoolchildren messages to delicious Girl Scout cookies to selfless gestures
from senior citizens, you have provided us with support, love and contributions that have given us
encouragement and inspiration. It has been a challenging time and we have had to make many
personal sacrifices to ensure that our patients receive the high-quality care that they expect and
deserve, but our resolve is to focus on you and your family’s health.
Thanks to you, we have met this challenge head on and we remain dedicated to ECMC’s mission:
To provide every patient the highest quality of care delivered with compassion.
Thank you!!! #InThisTogether

Support ECMC’s Caregivers:

ecmc.edu/donate TEXT: ECMC to 76278

The difference between healthcare and true careTM

BU-1605984
4 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 5

PROSPECTUS: HEALTH CARE

In the labs of Buffalo, new lifesavers in development

B y S c o t t S c a n l on
W N Y R E F R E SH E DI T OR

A
small, select number of
patients with brain cancer
are alive today because an
immunotherapy vaccine in-
vented in Buffalo continues
to show great promise in clinical trials.
Those diagnosed with Type 1 diabe-
tes likely will benefit in years to come
from a new treatment approach discov-
ered and advanced by a University at
Buffalo pediatric endocrinologist.
And a new $8.1 million infusion into
a continuing national study of post-
menopausal women, including more
than 4,000 from Western New York,
continues to help all women better un-
derstand what steps they can take to
maintain good health and live longer.
The global coronavirus pandemic
in 2020 stretched the regional health
system – and underlined its impor-
tance – but breakthrough research and
planning that serves as its cornerstones
endured during this time of great uncer-
tainty.
“Covid is an awful, awful disease that
is deserving of everyone’s attention but,
as we’re working day to day, we have to
remember and recognize that glioblas-
toma is far more lethal than Covid. That
drives us on,” said Dr. Robert Fenster-
maker, who with Dr. Michael Ciesiel-
ski will start expanded clinical trials
this spring on SurVaxM, a vaccine that
shows great promise in extending the
lives of people with the most common
form of brain cancer.
That sense of passion, and common Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News
desire to help bring the pandemic to an
University at Buffalo scientist Nikhil Satchidanand, center, and Dr. Jeff Mador, right, work with Marine Corps
end, will continue to fuel the roughly 1
veteran Bill Pichcuskie at VA Medical Center.
in 5 workers regionwide in health-relat-
ed fields.
Here’s a look at six ongoing projects UB Center for Successful Aging
that are shaping health care in Buffalo –
and beyond. This center was started four years ago on the Buffalo other measures to better manage chronic disease and bring
Niagara Medical Campus to bring research from the bench- more vibrancy to the later years. Its work has international
top into practical use. Researchers working in hospitals implications, said Dr. Bruce Troen, geriatrician, center di-
and Buffalo neighborhoods study the role of exercise and rector and principal investigator of related clinical studies.

Cancer
Dr. Robert Fenstermaker and Dr.
Michael Ciesielski continue to see suc-
cess with a unique cancer immuno-
therapy vaccine developed at Roswell
Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Women’s Health
SurVaxM will start final-stage clinical From 1993 to 1998,
trials this spring that could make it a more than 160,000 gen-
breakthrough treatment within two or erally healthy American
three years for glioblastoma, the most postmenopausal women,
common form of brain cancer. MimiVax, ages 50 to 79, enrolled in
the Roswell Park-based spinoff company the study designed to yield
they created, is working with up to $38 major discoveries about
million as development continues for a related chronic diseases
vaccine that also has treatment impli- and longevity. Hormone
cations for multiple myeloma, neuroen- therapy recommendations
docrine, medulloblastoma, melanoma, Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News changed as a result of this
kidney and breast tumors. Dr. Robert Fenstermaker, left, and Dr. Michael Ciesielski created the SurVaxM vaccine, which shows promise in extending the lives of those with the most common form of brain cancer. study, which involved more
than 4,000 women in the
region. The latest surveys
sent to participants, which
include many women over
age 100, ask questions
about how the coronavirus
pandemic has impacted
their wellbeing.

Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News

Robin Baumeister is the new research activities administrator and manages the
University at Buffalo Women’s Health Initiative biorepository on the South Campus. The
initiative recently won approval of $8.1 million to continue its efforts through 2027.

Covid-19
The Hauptman-Wood-
ward Medical Research
Institute and its High-
Throughput Crystalliza-
tion Screening Center
helped fellow researchers
around the country crys-
tallize different parts of
the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in-
cluding the spiked protein
believed key to virus infec-
tion, to hasten coronavirus
drug and treatment ef-
forts. It also has turned its
attention to other proteins
that are part of the virus
in ongoing efforts to better
understand how to short-
John Hickey/Buffalo News Derek Gee/Buffalo News circuit its spread.
Maribel “Bella” Irizarry, coordinator with the Buffalo Urban League Community Health Worker Program, has spent Dr. Teresa Quattrin, left, senior associate dean for research integration in the University at Buffalo Medical School,
part of the pandemic supporting the food pantry in the Clemmon H. Hodges Senior Community Center. visits with Jacob Ode, 15, of Grand Island, one of 84 patients who participated in the Type 1 diabetes trial.

Health equity Diabetes

Patient navigators and community health workers
have done their best to assure that those in underserved
communities get the access they need to the regional
health system during the pandemic. Many of these lower-
paid workers were laid off for at least some time in recent
months as health care systems cut costs. They help the
most vulnerable among us plug into primary and spe-
cialty care by addressing social determinants of health
that include access to child care, transportation, healthy
foods, safe recreational options and affordable housing.
The latest clinical trial led by Dr. Teresa Quattrin, a
pediatric endocrinologist at Oishei Children’s Hospital,
showed that nearly three times the number of those given
the immunotherapy drug golimumab (brand name Sim-
poni) extended the period they could continue to produce
insulin compared with the one-third of patients given a
placebo. The results were first reported in the New
England Journal of Medicine. “There’s actually no FDA
approved therapy to preserve beta cells. I think that’s part
of the excitement here,” Dr. Stephen Gitelman, head of the
pediatric diabetes program at the University of California
at San Francisco, told The Buffalo News about the study.
James P. McCoy/Buffalo News
Sarah Bowman, an associate research scientist and director of the Crystallization
Screening Center, readies research samples in the lab. She works closely with microbiol-
ogy researchers at Stanford and Arizona State universities on pandemic-related efforts.
6 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
Bill Maggio, managing partner of Lorraine Capital, vice chair of the Kaleida Health board, CEO of the Jacobs Institute and former chairman of the 43 North board, is optimistic.
Bill Maggio: Pandemic won’t stop rise
of Buffalo’s startups, medical campus
By Stephen T. Watson
N E WS STA F F R EPORT ER
B
efore the Covid-19
outbreak, Bill Mag-
gio was bullish on
the progress Buffalo
made in building a sustain-
able startup culture and in
leveraging its medical and
research assets to boost the
economy.
Now, he’s confident the
region can quickly recover
from the financial damage
inflicted by the pandemic.
Maggio’s words carry
weight because he’s as well
connected as anyone in Buf-
falo’s business community.
The managing partner of
the private equity firm Lor-
raine Capital is CEO of the
Jacobs Institute, vice chair
of Kaleida Health’s board of
directors and former chair
of the 43North business
competition.
He elaborated on why the
region is positioned well to
rebound in 2021 in a recent
interview, edited for length
and clarity.
Q: What should Buffalo
Niagara do to emerge from
Covid-19 and the recession
it caused as a stronger re-
gion?
A: Prior to the pandemic,
we really had some momen-
tum behind us. We had dem-
onstrated to the world that
we could sustain a startup
community here in Western
New York. We don’t need to
hit a home run every time.
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We just need to hit singles
and doubles. We’ve got all
these young entrepreneurs
who are coming into the
community, investing in the
East Side, investing in the
lower West Side. They’re re-
silient. They’re finding ways
to get by. So I’m very bull-
“We had demonstrated to the world that we could
sustain a startup community here in Western
New York. We don’t need to hit a home run every
time. We just need to hit singles and doubles.”
– Bill Maggio, managing partner of Lorraine Capital
ish about our community’s
future.
Q: How long will this re-
covery take? And how much
of the timing and the speed
is tied to full distribution of
the vaccine?
A: We’re going to be
coming out of a surge in
late winter. I would antici-
pate, by the early to mid-
spring, that we will begin a
very broad-based vaccina-
tion process. And I think
it will be well into the
second, and well into the
third, quarter until people
really start to feel comfort-
able again. We’re looking
at another four months of
some really difficult times
in this community. And,
after that, we’re going to
start to see a real accelera-
BUILD
BETTER
FASTER
BU-1608043
Buffalo Niagara Leaders
tion into that momentum
that I talked about. And
I think we won’t be talk-
ing about whether or not
Western New York will be
successful in turning this
recession around in 2022.
We’re going to be witness-
ing it way before then. And
it’s my hope that we will be
having a 43North event at
Shea’s with 3,000 people in
that room sometime in late
fall 2021. That is our goal.
Q: What do you think
are the sectors of the econ-
omy that have suffered the
longest-lasting effects from
the pandemic?
A: I really think that the
hospitality industry has suf-
fered tremendously. I think
that businesses in the inner
cities have suffered tremen-
dously. You know, we did
that Back to Business thing
with the county, 43North
facilitated that. We pushed
almost $19 million into the
hands of small business
owners. And our health
care workers have done a
remarkable job of keeping
our community safe. And
it’s just not at Kaleida, it’s
at Roswell, it’s at the Catho-
lics – anybody associated
with administering to the
health needs of our commu-
nity have done a remark-
able job. And it’s been very
stressful on them.
Q: Hundreds of millions
of dollars have been invested
into the Buffalo Niagara
Medical Campus. How does
Covid-19 affect its role as an
economic and research en-
gine for the area?
A: So the Medical Cam-
pus has played a big role
BU-1607878
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
in helping that retention technical collaborations.
piece, keeping these key How much have we lost this
docs, these key research- year because these collisions
ers, in Buffalo. I believe can’t easily happen through
that, post pandemic, there’s remote work?
going to be a real accelera- Oh, I mean, we’re not
tion of all the great things having an event this year for
that are happening on the 43North. That’s really unfor-
campus. tunate. But we have commit-
Look at that (University ments from the state that we
at Buffalo) medical school. will pick up where we left off
It’s elevated everything. in 2021. So, as far as the Ja-
It’s elevated the quality of cobs Institute is concerned,
applicant, it’s elevated the in the middle of a pandemic,
quality and the potential you can’t collide, right?
of the students and that, in So it’s had an impact
turn, elevates the quality of from that regard. But we
the residency programs and were deemed an essential
this tide raises all ships. I business. We’ve continued to
have absolutely no reason execute our mission, to con-
to believe that that will vince the world that if you
change. want to advance in medical
The Jacobs Institute, device, and the neuro-car-
43North, they encourage diovascular space, coming to
direct entrepreneurial and Buffalo is the place to do it.
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 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 7

Fact Book

Where the new jobs will be in health care

Physician assistants and nurse practitioners will be in high demand, along with registered nurses, physical and respiratory therapists and home health aides.
Employment Change Annual Wages ($) - 2020 Employment NYS
Title 2016 2026 Net Percent Mean Median Entry Experienced Prospects Rate
Health Care Practitioners and Technical Occupations 44,130 51,590 7,460 16.9% $81,140 $67,900 $42,130 $100,640 21.1%
Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners 28,160 33,080 4,920 17.5% N/A N/A N/A N/A 22.0%
Chiropractors 240 270 30 12.5% $71,960 $63,400 $58,100 $78,890 Favorable 20.5%
Dentists, General 400 480 80 20.0% $207,380 $199,580 $111,430 $255,350 Very Favorable 22.2%
Dietitians and Nutritionists 370 420 50 13.5% $62,570 $61,980 $47,200 $70,260 Very Favorable 21.3%
Pharmacists 1,650 1,750 100 6.1% $123,140 $127,700 $92,150 $138,640 Favorable 8.0%
Anesthesiologists 310 380 70 22.6% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 22.1%
Family and General Practitioners 310 370 60 19.4% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 19.4%
Pediatricians, General 200 250 50 25.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 20.6%
Physicians and Surgeons, All Other 1,970 2,220 250 12.7% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 19.3%
Physician Assistants 750 1,090 340 45.3% $104,950 $104,410 $88,230 $113,320 Very Favorable 43.4%
Occupational Therapists 820 990 170 20.7% $74,000 $74,050 $55,560 $83,220 Very Favorable 26.9%
Physical Therapists 1,380 1,720 340 24.6% $77,740 $77,520 $60,960 $86,130 Very Favorable 32.7%
Respiratory Therapists 590 740 150 25.4% $68,690 $67,550 $56,160 $74,950 Very Favorable 26.8%
Speech-Language Pathologists 1,400 1,730 330 23.6% $73,250 $73,420 $53,180 $83,290 Very Favorable 21.6%
Veterinarians 260 290 30 11.5% $111,380 $111,630 $73,020 $130,560 Favorable 18.2%
Registered Nurses 14,640 16,790 2,150 14.7% $76,030 $76,240 $57,590 $85,260 Very Favorable 20.1%
Nurse Practitioners 900 1,240 340 37.8% $105,720 $104,850 $83,290 $116,930 Very Favorable 41.6%
Health Technologists and Technicians 15,350 17,820 2,470 16.1% N/A N/A N/A N/A 19.2%
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 460 500 40 8.7% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 15.1%
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 430 480 50 11.6% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 18.8%
Dental Hygienists 1,350 1,640 290 21.5% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 22.7%
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians 250 290 40 16.0% $59,170 $57,920 $41,410 $68,050 Favorable 16.3%
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers 300 380 80 26.7% $77,340 $75,520 $61,760 $85,130 Very Favorable 26.9%
Radiologic Technologists 1,160 1,320 160 13.8% $60,560 $61,400 $44,340 $68,680 Favorable 18.3%
Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics 840 1,060 220 26.2% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 23.4%
Pharmacy Technicians 1,730 1,950 220 12.7% $32,520 $31,300 $26,010 $35,770 Very Favorable 15.7%
Surgical Technologists 500 550 50 10.0% $55,530 $55,590 $41,870 $62,370 Favorable 17.6%
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians 340 390 50 14.7% $38,310 $37,490 $32,700 $41,110 Favorable 19.6%
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 5,670 6,580 910 16.0% $44,840 $44,970 $36,570 $48,970 Very Favorable 18.4%
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians 940 1,090 150 16.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 20.9%
Opticians, Dispensing 410 460 50 12.2% $49,140 $52,390 $32,200 $57,610 Favorable 18.3%
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other 410 500 90 22.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 27.8%
Other Health Care Practitioners and Technical Occupations 620 690 70 11.3% N/A N/A N/A N/A 15.5%
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists 300 310 10 3.3% N/A N/A N/A N/A Unfavorable 12.2%
Health Care Support Occupations 20,750 25,680 4,930 23.8% $32,170 $29,720 $25,560 $35,480 35.3%
Nursing, Psychiatric and Home Health Aides 13,750 17,130 3,380 24.6% N/A N/A N/A N/A 38.0%
Home Health Aides 5,740 8,280 2,540 44.3% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 52.4%
Psychiatric Aides 280 280 0 0.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A Unfavorable 1.9%
Nursing Assistants 7,520 8,330 810 10.8% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 15.8%
Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides 980 1,190 210 21.4% N/A N/A N/A N/A 32.6%
Occupational Therapy Assistants 290 350 60 20.7% $49,260 $47,930 $39,530 $54,120 Very Favorable 29.7%
Physical Therapist Assistants 430 540 110 25.6% $46,290 $46,300 $36,470 $51,200 Very Favorable 34.0%
Other Health Care Support Occupations 6,030 7,360 1,330 22.1% N/A N/A N/A N/A 25.5%
Dental Assistants 1,220 1,470 250 20.5% $38,750 $38,310 $31,270 $42,500 Very Favorable 22.8%
Medical Assistants 2,090 2,740 650 31.1% $35,800 $34,990 $28,710 $39,350 Very Favorable 35.1%
Medical Transcriptionists 340 310 -30 -8.8% $41,200 $39,760 $31,000 $46,300 Very Unfavorable -0.8%
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers 530 600 70 13.2% $31,360 $29,840 $27,990 $33,040 Very Favorable 19.1%
Phlebotomists 420 550 130 31.0% $37,380 $37,000 $29,660 $41,240 Very Favorable 29.1%
Health Care Support Workers, All Other 530 600 70 13.2% $37,440 $34,410 $25,810 $43,260 Favorable 18.0%
Source: State Labor Department

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8 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021

May the new year

bring renewed hope,
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There’s no doubt that 2020 was a challenging year for all of us.
And yet, with passion, commitment and caring for one another, this
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 The Buffalo News

E M P L O Y M E N T & E D U C A T I O N n S U N DA Y, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 2 1

RENEWED
PUSH FOR
DIVERSITY
B y Dav i d R obi ns on n Pa g e 4

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 2 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
Some higher education leaders said the pandemic might be a final straw in
determining whether all of the area’s 19 colleges and universities can continue to operate.
The State University of New York system estimates its pandemic costs at $400 million. Lost revenues at many schools, like UB, stemmed from having fewer students on campus.
Colleges and universities won’t easily
shrug off the pandemic’s impact
Jay Tokasz
COMMEN TA RY
A
s bad as last year was for
the bottom lines of most
colleges and universities,
fiscal damage inflicted by
the Covid-19 pandemic on higher
education is expected to linger long
after the virus is under control.
The American Council on Educa-
tion estimated that Covid-19 cost
colleges and universities nation-
wide $120 billion in new expenses
and lost revenues so far. The State
University of New York system es-
timated its pandemic costs at $400
million, including more than $30
million spent on testing. The most
recent federal stimulus bill provided
roughly $23 billion for higher edu-
cation and student aid, not nearly
enough to fill the gap, according to
higher education advocates.
Lost revenues on campuses
stemmed primarily from near uni-
versal enrollment declines. In addi-
tion, because of the broad use of on-
line instruction and restrictions on
student gatherings, fewer students
last year lived in residence halls,
parked on campus and ate in cam-
pus dining halls – all of which are
big auxiliary moneymakers at most
colleges and universities.
But what’s making many college
and university leaders especially
anxious are the unknowns going
forward. There are no guarantees
revenues will rebound in fall 2021,
even if enough Americans get vacci-
nated against the virus by then.
Signs so far are worrisome.
Common App, a nonprofit orga-
nization that helps students apply
for college admission with a form
Recruiters from most colleges, including Medaille, have been unable to meet prospective students in person.
acknowledged by 900 colleges and
universities, sounded an alarm in
November when it reported that
the number of students applying to
college was down by 8% from the
previous year at the same time. In
December, the year-to-year number
was down by just 2%, but the de-
cline was greatest among students
qualifying for application fee waiv-
ers – an indicator of students who
are traditionally underrepresented
on college campuses.
Education
College recruiters have been held
at bay from meeting with prospec-
tive students by Covid-19 restric-
tions.
“It’s really hard to reach them,
to engage with them and do all the
normal things to explain college
and explain majors and so on,” said
Kenneth Macur, president of Medai-
lle College.
Medaille usually recruits many
students from Buffalo Public
Schools, which hasn’t had any in-
Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News
person instruction since last March.
Not only have seniors been un-
able to meet in person with college
recruiters, they have had less in-
teraction with in-school counselors
who can help steer them through
the college application and financial
aid process.
The cancellation of SAT and ACT
exams in June and September also
meant that colleges and universities
weren’t getting their normal reser-
voir of names of potential students,
John Hickey/Buffalo News
said Bob Murphy, executive vice
president and dean of admissions at
Niagara University.
In addition, the virus and eco-
nomic uncertainty around it have
led to plenty of anxiety among
high school seniors, who might not
consider college a top priority now,
Murphy added.
Another ominous sign is the
steep drop in community college
enrollment, especially among first-
year students. A smaller freshmen
class at any college or university
usually carries forward for four
years. Since community college stu-
dents often transfer to pursue bach-
elor’s degrees, those numbers can be
a harbinger of enrollment declines
later at four-year institutions.
In Western New York, the year-
to-year declines at Erie Community
College, Niagara County Communi-
ty College, Jamestown Community
College and Genesee Community
College were significant – 3,095 few-
er students at those four institutions
in 2020 than in 2019, according to
statistics the colleges provided to
SUNY.
Some higher education leaders
said the pandemic might be a final
straw in determining whether all
of the area’s 19 colleges and univer-
sities can continue to operate, as
the market for the students keeps
shrinking.
Conversations among institu-
tions about partnerships and merg-
ers “are going to have to accelerate
a bit” when the pandemic is under
control, said Dennis DePerro, presi-
dent of St. Bonaventure University.
“That will be the only key to al-
low some of the places to contin-
ue to persist,” he told The Buffalo
News in October. “I do think that
we are going to see the closure of
some institutions over the next 10
to 20 years. We have a large number
of institutions in this market and I
think we will see that here, unfor-
tunately.”
 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 3

Education

Derek Gee/Buffalo News

Students in Mrs. Wunder’s fifth-grade class at A.J. Schmidt Elementary School in Angola interact with Nicole Kang, the founder of Elementari, during a Dec. 16, 2020, virtual field
trip set up by Michael Drezek, district technology integrator for Lake Shore Central Schools, left, in connection with Computer Science Education Week.

Five significant ways education

could change after Covid-19
ing exercises students could
do at home to the science
teacher doing experiments
to the art teacher giving stu-
dents drawing lessons and
checking their work, most
found a way to get their
Barbara O’Brien points across.
COMMEN TA RY
“What we’re seeing here is
a lot more implementation of
school. That can give stu-
dents access to more college-
level courses.
“This speaks also to the
equity piece, giving kids ac-
cess to rigorous curriculum,”
Graser said.
Remote academies
Not all students are suffer-
experienced some successes
and has experienced some
hurdles,” Drezek said.
Some never want to be on
a Google Meet again. But, he
suggests, maybe that video
meet technology can connect
students with a park ranger
in California.
“I think more teachers
might tap into using tech-
nology to connect with the
world,” he said.
They’ve already done that
in Lake Shore, where fifth-
grade students connected
with a third-grade class in
Connecticut, and both classes
met with the founder of a
coding firm in France for a
virtual field trip.
But technology isn’t all or
nothing, Drezek said.
“If the best tool for a job is
a pencil, then we use a pencil.
Not everything has to be on-
line,” he said.

C
ovid-19 forced every-
one, from students to
teachers to adminis-
trators, to step out of
their comfort zones.
Most were unprepared for
the abrupt closing of schools
last March. Some schools did
not have enough computers
for every child, and not all
families had access to the in-
ternet for online classes.
“It essentially forced every
best practices that would be
good for all students,” Graser
said.
Teachers who would never
have considered using differ-
ent models of blended learn-
ing found they are perfect
for student-directed work at
More than a few school
districts, including
ing with virtual learning.
“There is a group of stu-
dents who are thriving under
remote instruction,” Graser
said.
Some students who never
participated in classes are
answering questions and en-
EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
gaging in discussions. Others
enjoy working at their own
pace.
More than a few school
districts, including Buffalo,
BU-1608103

single teacher to get online
and use technology because
that was the only way they
could reach their students,”
said Michael Drezek, district
technology integrator at Lake
Shore Central School District.
“What this has done in terms
of Covid, it really has just
pushed it forward on a large
scale.”
And learning will never be
the same.
Using technology
When schools closed last
year at the beginning of the
pandemic, some teachers had
an easier time than others
pivoting to virtual learning.
“There’s a little bit of the
luck of the draw between stu-
dents who have tech-savvy
teachers and those who do
not,” said Steve Graser, direc-
tor of professional develop-
ment and instructional tech-
nology resources with Erie 1
BOCES.
But after the past year,
more will get lucky as most
teachers expanded their tech-
nology knowledge.
It wasn’t easy. Many ex-
perienced teachers said they
felt like it was their first year
Buffalo, are thinking
about setting up a
remote academy –
after things return to
normal – for those who
do better virtually.
home and reinforcement with
face-to-face sessions with an
educator.
“I’ve had teachers who I
have worked with for a few
years approach me and say,
‘I didn’t realize how valuable
this really was,’ ” said Mela-
nie Kitchen, coordinator for
instructional technology and
staff development at Erie 1
BOCES.
More distance learning
Distance learning doesn’t
always mean 20 students
in squares on a computer
screen.
But now that students and
teachers are at ease with the
technology, it could mean
that students who are out of
school for extended periods
of time for an illness could
catch up.
And those in a school
that does not offer a particu-
lar course, like AP Calcu-
are thinking about setting
up a remote academy – after
things return to normal – for
those who do better virtually.
The end of snow days?
Their parents used to lis-
ten to the radio on snowy
mornings, waiting for the al-
phabetical list of school clos-
ings, but these days schools
usually call or text parents
when school is closed unex-
pectedly.
Now that students are
used to logging onto their
computers from home, why
take a day off?
Class can continue re-
motely. And then there’s no
second-guessing whether the
snow day should or should
not have been called. School
may have closed because of
poor weather, but learning
doesn’t have to be canceled.
It’s already happening in
some places. Syracuse City
Schools reminded parents
in December that for the
2020-2021 school year, should
schools be closed for inclem-
ent weather, “students will
be expected to attend classes
virtually.”
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4 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 5

PROSPECTUS: DIVERSITY IN BUSINESS

What it will take to make Buffalo Niagara workplaces more diverse?

B y Dav i d R obi ns on
N E WS BUSI N E S S R E PORT E R

T
he push for diversity has been
going on for years. And ad-
vocates say Buffalo Niagara’s
workforce still has a long way
to go to truly become more eq-
uitable.
A Buffalo Niagara Partnership survey
last year bore that out, with nearly 3 of
every 4 businesses responding saying that
they had launched an initiative to become
more diverse, but fewer than 1 in 5 had set
concrete diversity and inclusion goals, and
just 1 in 20 said they had fully achieved
those goals.
And 6% of the 265 firms that responded
to the survey said they weren’t interested in
initiating any plans related to diversity and
inclusion.
Experts say support for diversity initia- Derek Gee Buffalo News
tives has to come from the top, but the Thomas Beauford Jr. says companies have to be deliberate to achieve their goals.
Partnership survey revealed that CEOs and
staff-level employees often have different
perceptions about their companies’ ap- Thomas Beauford Jr.
proaches. President and CEO, Buffalo Urban League

R
While 70% of CEOs surveyed said their
organization “maintains a culture that pro- ecruitment, development and reten-
motes inclusion,” only a little less than half tion are the core of racial equity and
of staff-level people in the survey agreed diversity in the workplace and corpo-
with that statement. rate leadership, according to Thomas
So the region still has a lot of work to do. Beauford Jr., the new president and CEO of
Here’s what some local leaders think has to Buffalo Urban League.
be done. Beauford was appointed last August and
has more than 20 years’ experience in strate-
gic and operations management, mostly in the
financial service industry.
He said companies may have to be deliber-
ate, almost to the extent of affirmative in setting
Rose Sconiers goals to achieve the makeup and composition
Retired State Supreme Court judge of what they want their businesses to look like.
through mentoring and advocacy because mi-
norities often don’t have traditional networks
that happen “organically” in other cultures
where candidates already “know someone who
knows someone” at the company or has social
connections with someone at the company be-
fore they are hired, Beauford said.
That’s an “informal mentor,” Beauford said.
It’s an advocates who “speaks for you when
you’re not in the room and makes opportu-
nities available to you or at least throw your
name in the ring.” Retention of diverse talent
also involves companies investing money in
and patronizing “Black and brown” cultures

D
And someone may need to be held accountable and experiences like restaurants, education
iversifying Buffalo’s corporate if it’s not happening. and centers of commerce.
leadership requires enlightened Businesses should develop diverse talent – Deidre Williams
board members to push open the
doors to people of color, retired
State Supreme Court Judge Rose H. Sco-
niers said.
“I think we need to have people of color
on some of the corporate boards because
who is at the table matters,” said Sconiers,
vice chair of the Racial Equity Roundtable,
an initiative of the Community Foundation
of Greater Buffalo.
“It’s the people on the boards who are
going to have to raise this,” she said. “There
is probably someone on those boards who
feels we need to have a more inclusive
board, and I think they’ll be the ones who
can really make a difference.
“Coming from the outside and trying
to get on I don’t think is going to happen
because it’s kind of like a closed shop,” Sco-
niers said.
The absence of African Americans in
Buffalo’s corporate leadership remains pro-
nounced, she said.
“The one thing we have not cracked are
the corporate boards,” Sconiers said. “If we
truly want a diverse and inclusive society,
then you have to have it in places where Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News Derek Gee/Buffalo News
we’re not.” “We need to have people of color on some of the corporate boards because who is at the table matters,” says Rose Sconiers, vice chair of the Racial Equity Roundtable, an initiative of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. Dottie Gallagher says diversity is a journey every company must approach individually.
– Mark Sommer

Dottie Gallagher
President and CEO,
Buffalo Niagara Partnership

T
he Buffalo Niagara
Partnership this year
conducted an assess-
ment of diversity, equity
and inclusion at businesses in the
Buffalo Niagara region.
The results were revealing.
“With 72% of businesses start-
ing their (diversity, equity and
inclusion) journey and only 5% of
companies achieving their diver-
sity goals, there is much work to
be done,” said Dottie Gallagher,
president and CEO of the Buffalo
Niagara Partnership.
A company’s next step on pro-
moting greater diversity depends
on where they are now on their
journey, Gallagher said.
Employers who are just start-
ing to work on the issue need to
commit to the process and learn
more about what to do, she said.
Companies that have started
the process need to designate a
person or a committee to manage
Derek Gee/Buffalo News Derek Gee/Buffalo News Derek Gee/Buffalo News the work, Gallagher said.
Stephen Tucker says people of color in leadership and hiring roles will reach more diverse candidates. Rupa Shanmugam says inclusion needs to be “a series of actions that will result in positive change.” And employers further along
Carolynn Welch says issues affecting communites of color “stem from a myriad of systemic injustices.”
should have a dedicated profes-
sional or committee set measur-
able goals for not only hiring, but
Carolynn Welch Stephen Tucker Rupa Shanmugam a commitment to policy changes
Executive director, Westminster Economic Development Initiative President and CEO, Northland Workforce Training Center CEO and majority owner, SoPark Corp. that promote inclusiveness at

A A
s one of the most segregated cities in the
country, Buffalo has a long way to go before
its business community reflects the diver-
sity of the city’s population.
That’s the view of Carolynn Welch, executive direc-
tor at Westminster Economic Development Initiative,
a nonprofit that provides business training and loans
to low-income entrepreneurs.
And it won’t be a quick or easy fix, she said.
“The issues that are plaguing our black and brown
communities stem from a myriad of systemic injustices
that can not be attributed to one source,” Welch said.
As a result, there won’t be one silver-bullet solution.
Many deep-rooted systemic changes must happen to
create both the ability and opportunity for success
among all communities of color, and the changes must
come from the bottom up, Welch said.
“It’s sitting down with brown and black communi-
ties and really, truly listening to what needs to happen.
And then working together to do the work,” she said.
That will take more than a company mission state-
ment or funding to create more programs, she said.
“We must all leave our egos at the door, roll up
our sleeves and be ready to get to work,” she said. “To
truly make change, we need to be willing to dismantle
the current systems in place and replace them with
those that truly provide equity and support.”
– Samantha Christmann
s president and CEO of the Northland
Workforce Training Center, Stephen Tucker
knows the work it will take to make the
workforce more equitable.
“Sometimes I feel like it’s just lip service, checking
the box. You can have diversity and inclusion initia-
tives but are you intentionally setting up programs to
help people advance? Are you supporting the profes-
sional development of those individuals?” he said.
It’s necessary to raise awareness about the oppor-
tunities that exist for people of color and make sure
they can access those opportunities, he said. It’s just
as important to make sure they succeed once they’re
there. That means creating a culture where everyone
feels valued.
“Are you listening to them when they bring their
concerns? Are you able to have those courageous con-
versations when issues come up?” Tucker said.
Making sure there are people of color in leadership
and hiring roles will help tap into new, more diverse
networks of candidates, as well. He gives this anal-
ogy: If you keep fishing in the same pond, you’ll keep
catching the same fish. The training center helps with
both.
“We have to prepare people with technical and
educational skills, but we also have to work with the
businesses to fish in a different pond,” he said.
– Samantha Christmann
R
upa Shanmugam has been a trailblazer
throughout her life.
The Malaysia native studied engineering
at a time when nearly all of her classmates
were men. She went on to become the CEO and ma-
jority owner of SoPark Corp., an electronics manufac-
turer in Lackawanna, when even now manufacturing
companies are often led by men.
SoPark’s top leadership is 67% female. Its total
employment is 53% female and/or minority, with 10%
foreign-born U.S. citizens from different countries.
“Diversity and inclusion is not a program,” Shan-
mugam said. “It needs to be a series of actions that
results in positive changes in the way organizations
work, she said.
are built and the way business is conducted. It is also “This is a journey that every
about building a network in minority communities to company must approach individ-
better understand each other’s perspective.” ually,” Gallagher said.
Shanmugam said it’s important for business lead- “What the assessment showed
ers to be in regular contact with leaders in the mi- was that it does not matter if you
nority community. And recruiters should extend job are a small company or large,
searches beyond regular posting methods, and make a for-profit employer or not for
opportunities known through minority media chan- profit, every company moves
nels, she said. “In order to build a foundation for the along the continuum,” she said.
future, it is very important for businesses to invite – Matt Glynn
involvement from diverse groups of students from
schools and higher education including job shadow-
ing, summer employment and internships,” she said.
– Matt Glynn
6 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
Dr. LaVonne Ansari, the chief executive officer and executive director of the Community Health Center, in the dental department at the office at 34 Benwood Ave. in Buffalo.
LaVonne Ansari: Breaking down barriers
is vital to building a stronger future
By Tim O’Shei
N E WS STA F F R EPORT ER
F
or LaVonne Ansari, it’s
about seeing the whole.
The whole person, the
whole picture, the whole
problem.
“This pandemic has hit the
whole world,” said Ansari, the
CEO and executive director of the
Community Health Center of Buf-
falo and formerly a vice president
at Niagara County Community
College.
“The whole world is working
on it at once. You will see the rise
of one humanity when the en-
vironment calls for it,” she said.
“But then you see also how the
human being has set up his own
road barriers, his own structural
barriers.”
Breaking down those barriers,
Ansari told The News during an
interview in her Buffalo office,
is vital to building a stronger
future. Here are excerpts of the
conversation, edited for space and
clarity:
Q: What should Buffalo Ni-
agara do to emerge from Covid-19
and the recession it caused as a
stronger region?
A: We need to reimagine what
got us into this situation in the
Buffalo Niagara Leaders
Photos by Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News
America. But they teach that a
“We don’t put a premium on teaching in this country. white man came over here. The
Indigenous were already here. If
Other parts of the world, they have the best and the brightest. we don’t start telling the truth
Not that we don’t, but we don’t look for them.” that frees up everybody, we will
always stay here.
– Dr. LaVonne Ansari, CEO and executive director Statistically, we know that
(employers) will hire a white man
of the Community Health Center of Buffalo with a criminal record before
they’ll hire a Black man with
a degree. Why? How does that
work? That’s the data, and that’s
first place, which are racist poli- times the rate (nationally). This started an academic mentoring because you’re familiar with
cies. disease has exposed that. program (at CHCB) because the them.
The impact of Covid-19 has hit How do you get people to un- schools are digital now and my Q: What is the change we need
every quality of life that we know, derstand how we got here? And employees were struggling with to make?
from education to housing to how do we make sure that we’re their children at home. We set A: I think you change it by ac-
health care to finance to employ- better prepared through these up for them to come in and learn knowledging all human beings’
ment. structural policies and how we’re in the premises. The reason why goodness, and understanding
We can’t piecemeal the solu- thinking? that is important? Children that that race is not the issue, because
tion. We have to uproot it and be Q: Let’s tap into your education are privileged already have tutors. we’re all of the human race.
more comprehensive in how we background for a moment. How Their parents already had that set But racism is the issue. So
plan the future. can we improve schools? for them. In our communities, we when you begin to understand
Q: Where is the starting point A: Understand our learning can’t afford it, and we don’t have the role that we all play in the
for a solution? styles. Start with the expectation access. So we set that up. structure, then you don’t choose
A: Start with ourselves. Co- that all children, all human be- Educating is ensuring that all one human being over the other.
vid-19 has made us, as human ings, can learn. That is not how children can learn, and not al- The beauty of being in Buffalo
beings, look at our core values. the system begins with us as chil- lowing – because the system has and Western New York is I get to
We’re all trying to figure out who dren. changed the way they’re teach- have conversations like this, and
gets the vaccine first. Those are We don’t put a premium on ing right now – that our children we can make change. We have
core values and belief systems. teaching in this country. Other should not be taught. access to power very quickly, and
We’re trying to determine how parts of the world, they have the Q: What more could we be do- we have access to each other –
those of us that are dying – par- best and the brightest. Not that ing? What are many of us missing more than most places, honestly.
ticularly African Americans, and we don’t, but we don’t look for altogether? We’re able to have space to
those of us of color and Indig- them. A: We know that Christo- have these conversations. That’s
enous people – are dying at three I’ll give you an example: I just pher Columbus did not discover what is needed.
 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 7

Fact Book

Where the new jobs will be in education

Postsecondary teachers in numerous categories will be in high demand, along with special education and preschool teachers, librarians and curators.
Employment Change Annual Wages ($) - 2020
Employment NYS
Title 2016 2026 Net Percent Mean Median Entry Experienced Prospects Rate
Education, Training, and Library Occupations 57,300 62,800 5,500 9.6% $58,400 $52,270 $28,950 $73,130 12.5%
Postsecondary Teachers 14,670 17,140 2,470 16.8% N/A N/A N/A N/A 20.2%
Business Teachers, Postsecondary 970 1,090 120 12.4% $90,910 $80,390 $43,480 $114,620 Very Favorable 25.4%
Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary 270 310 40 14.8% $85,220 $79,950 $44,040 $105,810 Favorable 17.0%
Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary 570 660 90 15.8% $72,500 $62,040 $38,180 $89,670 Very Favorable 17.3%
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary 460 550 90 19.6% $101,090 $95,300 $64,950 $119,160 Very Favorable 22.0%
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary 470 570 100 21.3% $96,200 $87,450 $51,510 $118,550 Very Favorable 23.1%
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary 220 260 40 18.2% $97,330 $89,190 $51,590 $120,200 Very Favorable 17.7%
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary 150 170 20 13.3% $81,340 $85,670 $54,800 $94,610 Very Favorable 17.5%
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary 70 80 10 14.3% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 17.6%
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary 90 100 10 11.1% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 18.5%
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary 150 180 30 20.0% $96,480 $91,140 $52,180 $118,620 Very Favorable 18.6%
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary 140 160 20 14.3% $64,880 $63,030 $34,860 $79,890 Very Favorable 18.6%
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary 270 330 60 22.2% $72,910 $64,500 $44,300 $87,220 Very Favorable 23.2%
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary 190 210 20 10.5% $66,330 $67,010 $37,370 $80,810 Favorable 17.8%
Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other 340 400 60 17.6% $83,760 $70,410 $43,460 $103,910 Very Favorable 17.9%
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 1,920 2,360 440 22.9% $84,760 $71,780 $47,130 $103,580 Very Favorable 27.1%
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary 480 620 140 29.2% $84,750 $89,670 $51,690 $101,280 Very Favorable 27.5%
Education Teachers, Postsecondary 1,460 1,670 210 14.4% $57,970 $52,170 $34,660 $69,630 Very Favorable 17.5%
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary 260 310 50 19.2% $61,340 $58,600 $32,760 $75,630 Very Favorable 22.3%
Law Teachers, Postsecondary 200 240 40 20.0% $102,740 $87,470 $39,710 $134,250 Very Favorable #N/A
Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary 170 200 30 17.6% $67,800 $66,970 $40,090 $81,660 Favorable #N/A
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary 920 1,070 150 16.3% $79,690 $63,270 $36,690 $101,190 Very Favorable 17.2%
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary 280 320 40 14.3% $57,890 $54,170 $37,750 $67,960 Very Favorable 17.8%
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary 850 980 130 15.3% $72,640 $63,150 $40,340 $88,780 Very Favorable 17.6%
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary 230 260 30 13.0% $57,780 $55,560 $34,720 $69,310 Very Favorable 18.5%
History Teachers, Postsecondary 260 300 40 15.4% $68,790 $68,820 $41,210 $82,570 Very Favorable 18.2%
Graduate Teaching Assistants 820 920 100 12.2% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 15.9%
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary 190 220 30 15.8% $77,510 $65,000 $50,280 $91,120 Very Favorable 16.9%
Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary 910 1,000 90 9.9% $57,510 $54,300 $40,130 $66,200 Favorable 9.6%
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other 340 390 50 14.7% $59,200 $51,640 $36,610 $70,500 Very Favorable 17.3%
Preschool, Primary, Secondary, and Special Education School Teachers 22,930 24,510 1,580 6.9% N/A N/A N/A N/A 7.2%
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education 2,790 3,200 410 14.7% $42,260 $30,340 $25,590 $50,590 Very Favorable 12.2%
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education 800 860 60 7.5% $69,220 $68,840 $44,290 $81,680 Favorable 5.6%
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 6,270 6,690 420 6.7% $70,200 $69,630 $45,650 $82,470 Favorable 5.1%
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 2,820 3,010 190 6.7% $70,570 $69,170 $47,590 $82,070 Favorable 6.2%
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School 260 280 20 7.7% $68,230 $63,890 $45,340 $79,680 Favorable #N/A
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 5,480 5,550 70 1.3% $73,840 $73,930 $51,130 $85,190 Favorable 7.3%
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School 610 650 40 6.6% $69,930 $70,450 $48,960 $80,420 Favorable 4.3%
Special Education Teachers, Preschool 410 510 100 24.4% $65,740 $64,200 $45,350 $75,940 Very Favorable 20.6%
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School 1,510 1,610 100 6.6% $65,950 $60,700 $46,340 $75,750 Favorable 7.0%
Special Education Teachers, Middle School 670 710 40 6.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 4.7%
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School 1,190 1,270 80 6.7% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 5.1%
Special Education Teachers, All Other 140 180 40 28.6% $72,920 $68,160 $54,380 $82,180 Very Favorable #N/A
Other Teachers and Instructors 7,200 7,760 560 7.8% N/A N/A N/A N/A 16.4%
Adult Basic and Secondary Education and Literacy Teachers and Instructors 330 330 0 0.0% $74,880 $78,010 $49,810 $87,410 Very Unfavorable 1.1%
Self-Enrichment Education Teachers 2,380 2,840 460 19.3% $45,850 $40,220 $26,460 $55,540 Very Favorable 23.3%
Teachers and Instructors, All Other, Except Substitute Teachers 770 790 20 2.6% $47,010 $42,880 $25,650 $57,690 Favorable 29.5%
Substitute Teachers 3,730 3,800 70 1.9% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 5.1%
Librarians, Curators, and Archivists 1,720 1,900 180 10.5% N/A N/A N/A N/A 9.7%
Curators 60 70 10 16.7% $59,110 $52,690 $36,400 $70,470 Very Favorable 20.8%
Museum Technicians and Conservators 70 80 10 14.3% $40,540 $33,100 $26,760 $47,430 Very Favorable 18.4%
Librarians 930 1,030 100 10.8% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 8.0%
Library Technicians 630 680 50 7.9% $30,500 $25,050 $24,670 $33,410 Favorable 8.8%
Other Education, Training, and Library Occupations 10,780 11,490 710 6.6% N/A N/A N/A N/A 9.7%
Audio-Visual and Multimedia Collections Specialists 80 90 10 12.5% N/A N/A N/A N/A Very Favorable 15.2%
Instructional Coordinators 800 900 100 12.5% $68,360 $63,810 $41,230 $81,930 Very Favorable 14.8%
Teacher Assistants 9,840 10,420 580 5.9% N/A N/A N/A N/A Favorable 8.8%
Source: State Labor Department

Pandemic causes big job losses A spike in the ranks of the unemployed Personal income growth rebounds
Buffalo Niagara region lost jobs at a 7.1% pace The number of jobless people surged amid the pandemic Change in local per capita income, adjusted for inflation
2% 50,000 5%

4%
0%

40,000 3%
-2%
2%

-4% 1%
30,000
0%
-6%
-1%
20,000
-8%
’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 -2%
’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19
Annualized percent change from the preceding November
Source: State Labor Department 10,000 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

How local unemployment has spiked 0

Buffalo Niagara jobless rate rose to 6.9% in October ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20
20%
Figures are for November of each year
Source: State Labor Department
15%

10%
NCCC Workforce Development
5%
Dedicated to the development of a
skilled, dynamic, and diverse workforce
0%
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Rates are not seasonally adjusted
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8 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus

The numbers
tell our story
The News’ audience is growing, with
unmatched reach in print and digital

Share of Buffalo
market reading
The News each week 80% 44.5 Median age
of our
readers

Share of

60% 398k
Buffalo market Followers
reading our print on social
platforms media
each week

58% 36
Share of Buffalo million copies of
market reading our The Buffalo News
digital platforms printed in 2019
each week
Share of Buffalo

44% 41
market reading both Publications printed
our print and at our downtown
digital platforms production plant
each week
Years of

233k 2,030
experience
Subscribers covering
across our 29 Western New
email newsletters York in our
newsroom

82% 17k
Increase in
subscriptions to Active advertisers
BuffaloNews.com on platforms across
in 2020 Amplified Digital

I
n the spring of 2020, I came
across an old Buffalo News ruler
in a box of long-forgotten mem-
orabilia. My guess is that it’s from
circa 1980.
Written on it is a jaw-dropping proclamation: “8 out of 10 Buffaloni-
ans read The News daily.”
A few months later, we commissioned an independent scientific sur-
vey of adults in the Buffalo area, to learn more about our current audi-
ence. I wondered how the new survey’s results would compare to the
number on that old ruler, which was a reflection of a bygone era. How
would our audience size be affected by the emergence of new tech-
nologies – the disruptors that many have used to declare newspapers’
impending irrelevance?
The findings were eerily familiar. Each week, The News reaches 8 out
of 10 Buffalo adults.
The findings were amusing, but not surprising. They confirm what
I’ve consistently seen in more than 25 years of working in newspapers:
We reach an audience that is unmatched by any other medium. Our
journalism is essential, and it always has been. The digital revolution
has only enhanced our ability to tell stories and reach readers.
The News’ central role in this community is a testament to the foun-
dation built by the Butler family, who founded this newspaper 140
years ago. This news organization’s continued dominance is a testa-
ment to all our employees who’ve committed themselves to excellence
through the decades – from the newsroom to the production plant,
from sales executives to our circulation
team, and countless others throughout
the company.
As we look to the future, we do so
with tremendous momentum. Our print product is among the best in
the country, and 60% of adults read it each week. We’ve expanded our
digital audience, not only through the region’s No. 1 news website but
also with huge audiences on social media and via email newsletters.
What’s more, we’ve seen a surge in subscriptions to BuffaloNews.com,
proving that people will pay for news they trust and value.
Just as our predecessors were innovators in journalism and busi-
ness, today’s News is moving boldly to meet this community’s
needs. Our sales organization, Amplified Buffalo, gives our advertis-
ing partners powerful new tools. Amplified Buffalo combines The
News’ unmatched reach with the most sophisticated digital mar-
keting capabilities available. Now more than ever, we know how
important it is that we’re equipped to help local businesses. We’re
excited about the challenge.
None of this is possible without your support. We are essential,
because you count on us to tell the stories that mat-
ter. You have my commitment that we’ll always live
up to that responsibility.
Thank you,
Tom Wiley
Publisher and President
 The Buffalo News

AU TOMOTI V E , M A N U FAC T URING & RETA ILING n SU N DAY, JA N UA RY 31, 2021

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 2 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
Assistant manager Mary Fish delivers an online order to a customer waiting outside The BFLO Store at the Eastern Hills Mall. Curbside pickup has become a staple of the pandemic.
Covid will fade, but like it or not,
shopping will never be the same
Samantha Christmann
COMMEN TA RY
E
ven in the best of times,
there’s no crystal ball to tell
the future. But now, with
the major disruption Co-
vid-19 has dealt every aspect of life
and business, it is harder than ever
to make predictions.
One thing is for sure: Covid will
keep transforming retail and con-
sumer life. The only real question is
how, and how much.
Here are some good bets.
Quick innovation. How many
times have you heard the word “piv-
ot” since the pandemic began? That
will likely be the name of the game
this year, too, as small businesses are
forced to react quickly to changing
safety needs and consumer behavior.
In fact, watching businesses in-
novate, improve and rise to the chal-
lenge has been a bright spot during
these tough times.
Buying local and American-
made. We can only hope that, of all
the trends that took hold this year,
this one has staying power.
Another silver lining during the
pandemic: As we’ve been forced to
isolate, our sense of community has
grown. As a result, consumers have
felt more responsibility to look out
for the businesses in their neighbor-
hoods.
Though vows to shop small get
lip service every holiday shopping
season, many consumers followed
through this year. They put their
money where their mouths were and
diverted bigger portions of their bud-
The shift to online shopping shows no signs of letting up. If anything, retailers
will keep sharpening their services, making it an even more attractive option.
A Buffalo Bills 2020 playoffs hat is bagged for a customer at The BFLO Store at the Eastern Hills Mall.
Many shoppers followed through this Christmas season and supported small, local businesses.
gets toward small, local businesses
than in years past.
There’s another force push-
ing shoppers to increase their local
shopping: Due to major shortages of
everything from toilet paper to tram-
polines, the average consumer now
understands how supply chains work
– and what happens when they don’t.
Hopefully, the thought of fac-
Retailing
ing empty shelves again will have
them looking for American-made
goods, creating enough demand to
strengthen stateside manufacturers.
Contactless transactions. Mi-
gration toward contactless checkout
began before Covid, borne simply of
convenience and shopper preference
to get in and out of checkout lanes
quickly: credit cards that you tap
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
against the terminal, phone pay-
ment apps and scan-and-go technol-
ogy. Most extreme was Amazon’s Go
store, which allows shoppers to take
items off shelves, put them in their
bags and leave.
Now, as a matter of public health
and customer peace of mind, con-
tactless interactions will likely re-
main and grow long after the pan-
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
demic ends.
Curbside pickup has become a
staple of the pandemic, and some-
thing customers likely won’t want
to give up. The convenience, which
is similar to the oft-used drive-thrus
of fast-food fame, could help retail-
ers compete with Amazon.
If brick-and-mortar can’t com-
pete with Amazon’s free, two-day
shipping, they can compete in the
arena of instant gratification. Cus-
tomers can order what they want,
have it within hours and never have
to get out of the car.
Online. The shift to online shop-
ping has been one of the biggest
takeaways of the pandemic. It dis-
rupted brick-and-mortar long ago,
hastening the retail apocalypse,
but went through the roof this past
year. Consumers sidelined by Covid
and retailers shut by government
mandate sent online shopping in-
creases into record-breaking terri-
tory.
In addition, some of the most
internet-resistant consumers made
a shift online. Even if they did so be-
grudgingly at first, they have begun
to appreciate its benefits.
The shift to online shopping
shows no signs of letting up. If
anything, retailers will continue to
sharpen their services, making it
an even more attractive option for
consumers.
Virtual experiences. Zoom
wasn’t just for business meetings in
2020, and the diversity of its uses
will continue to grow through 2021.
As consumers yearn to connect
during another tough winter in
isolation, retailers’ creative uses of
the medium will likely soar to new
heights.
In addition to shopping parties,
cooking classes and virtual tastings,
there is no limit to the creativity of
retailers and restaurants.

Winding Supervisor Kenneth Meredith fabricates a transformer winding last month at Niagara Transformer in Cheektowaga, which saw ups and downs in activity in 2020.
For two centuries, Buffalo has made things;
not even a pandemic could slow that down
Matt Glynn
COMMEN TA RY
T
he Buffalo Niagara re-
gion’s manufacturers
are hoping for a more
stable year.
Last year, some of them
were forced to temporarily
halt production during the
pandemic. That happened to
Buffalo Games, right when
homebound families were
flocking to jigsaw puzzles, and
to home office furniture mak-
er Bestar-Bush Industries, just
as waves of people were thrust
into working from home.
Automakers like General
Motors and Ford temporar-
ily suspended their manufac-
turing operations. Once they
resumed production, they
played catch-up, trying to re-
stock depleted inventories on
car dealers’ lots.
Manufacturers faced plenty
of challenges last year, and
some were affected by fallout
from industries they supply.
Moog Inc., for instance, felt
the sting of the airline indus-
try’s woes, as travel plum-
meted.
But locally, the manu-
facturing sector as a whole
didn’t suffer job losses or
furloughs on the level of busi-
nesses in industries such as
hospitality and tourism. As
of November, the region’s
manufacturing job count was
Manufacturing is a sector that can help fuel the economy as some others remain
stuck in the doldrums, uncertain about when a turnaround will come.
A worker tightens bolts on the exterior of a transformer
under production last month at Niagara Transformer in
Cheektowaga, which has about 150 employees.
53,000, up 2% from March,
when the pandemic was just
hitting the economy.
Now manufacturers are
ready to see what 2021 has in
store for them. They are siz-
ing up where opportunities
might emerge and, in some
cases, trying to keep pace
with demand.
The December edition of
the Empire State Manufac-
turing Survey, published by
the Federal Reserve Bank of
New York, found manufactur-
ers were optimistic that con-
ditions would improve over
the next six months.
The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus
Manufacturing
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
“Demand for products is
surging, requiring new and
innovative production meth-
ods, and many manufactur-
ers have stepped up to the
plate,” said Peter Coleman,
executive director of the Buf-
falo Niagara Manufactur-
ing Alliance, in a message to
members late last year.
Amid the upheaval in
the economy were signs of
growth, and manufacturers
hope that will carry over into
the new year. It’s a sector that
can help fuel the economy
as some others remain stuck
in the doldrums, uncertain
3
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
about when a turnaround declining federal tax credits 2020 would mean for their
will come. with President Biden taking operations. Now they are fo-
Sumitomo Rubber USA office. cused on what lies ahead and
hung a banner promot- A year ago, manufacturers hoping for a year of consis-
ing hiring on its Town of couldn’t have imagined what tent production.
Tonawanda tire-making fa-
cility, which employs about
1,300 people. The plant was
aiming to hire to fill about 40
more positions for produc-
tion, electricians and skilled
trades, and about 30 more
positions for salaried IT, en-
gineering, design and quality
roles, said Russell Pustulka,
senior director of human re-
sources.
“With aggressive growth
plans for the future, we see a
solid base for manufacturing
tires here in Tonawanda and
for preserving these 1,300 to Turnkey Building Solutions.
1,400 jobs for years to come,”
Pustulka said.
Niagara Transformer saw
ups and downs in activity
last year. The Cheektowaga Building Systems
manufacturer has about 150
employees.
John Darby, Niagara
Transformer’s president, Video Surveillance
sees potential in markets
like electrical infrastructure.
Utilities are among the most
aggressive in trying to pen- Fire Alarm
etrate the market for broad-
based electric vehicle charg-
ing needs, he said.
“There needs to be a mas- Access Control
sive buildout to support the
conversion from gas and
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4 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 5

PROSPECTUS: WORKPLACE SAFETY AMID COVID-19

PHOTOGR A PH Y BY DER EK GEE / BUFFA LO NEWS

A hand sanitizing station for employees and customers is located near the entrance to the
KeyBank branch on East Delevan Avenue at Grider Street.

Keeping us safe:
Sprayers, stickers,
lots of sanitizer
By Sa m a n th a Christm a n n hopes of eliminating it. But those rules can and do
N E WS BUSI N E S S R EPORT E R change, as restaurant owners and retailers in West-

A
clean and safe workplace has never re-
quired so much creativity and commit-
ment.
As researchers learn more about Covid
and how it spreads, the measures that businesses
use to fight it will continue to evolve.
Using guidance from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration has been working with
businesses to help them understand the virus – how
it affects the workplace, which workers are most at
risk and what safeguards they can put in place to
curb the spread.
At the same time, governments have imposed
rules that are meant to keep up with the virus in
ern New York know too well. They have exhausted
funds and energy trying to keep up with the ever-
changing mandates and restrictions; and have had
to open, close and reopen with little notice.
While some received Back to Business grants
or funding from the Paycheck Protection Program,
many more have not received any financial help
with the added costs incurred trying to keep their
workplaces safe and within code. That has left
them scrambling on their own to provide signage,
sanitizer, cleaning products and infrastructure
such as Plexiglas shields and table dividers.
Companies have also adopted their own addi-
tional measures wherever they make sense, invest-
ing in expensive equipment to sanitize the air and
surfaces, and to keep workers and customers safe. Joseph Higgins uses an electrostatic sprayer with a UV light to disinfect shopping carts after collecting them at the Tops Friendly Markets on Elmwood Avenue in North Buffalo. Local businesses are doing their part to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Dale Wittmer, HVAC service technician for John W. Danforth

Co., replaces the filters in the HVAC units on the roof of the
building to help curb the spread of the virus.

Owner Nathan Mroz, right, fills online orders for pickup with assistant manager Mary Fish at The BFLO Store at the
Eastern Hills Mall in Williamsville.

A temperature check station awaits employees and visitors at the

entrance to Seneca One tower.

A decal on the floor helps promote social distancing by Online orders are neatly bagged and ready for customers to
keeping shoppers 6 feet apart in the BFLO Store. pick up at The BFLO Store. Bob Greiner wears a mask as he fabricates a transformer winding at Niagara Transformer in Cheektowaga.
6 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus

Buffalo Niagara Leaders

Mark Mulville/Buffalo News

Maura Crawford, proprietor of Coco Bar & Bistro, did not get the aid grants she applied for. She believes the federal and state governments have failed small business owners.

Maura Crawford of Coco shares how

lawmakers can help restaurants survive
By Andrew Z. Galarneau
N E WS FOOD E DI T OR
can just become more politi- down among employees, to help get out of this next check; you know, small Because we’re living right
cally active. size of company, and they year? business, we’re paid to now, day to day, just trying
I just saw that Tom assess you. I got hit for a A: Small-business people bring our wits. We are liter- to get through it.

A
restaurateur
whose work has
benefited commu-
nities across Erie
County over decades, Maura
Crawford knows what it
takes to make restaurants
work.
Since coronavirus, the
woman who helped shape
Left Bank and Le Metro
has been pivoting like a
dervish to keep her restau-
rant Coco, at 888 Main St.,
alive. She didn’t get the aid
grants she applied for, and
is marshaling her forces
in a wintertime bivouac of
creperie, frites and more,
grinding it out in the cold
like George Washington at
Valley Forge.
If you’re looking for
someone to blow sunshine
Brady’s company got almost
a million dollars in PPP. And
he bought a yacht, appar-
ently.
The state is my more im-
mediate concern, because
“Small business people think on their feet.
We’re pragmatic, we can turn on a dime.”
– Maura Crawford, owner of Coco
their job is to keep us safe.
I think they’ve been work-
ing their butts off, but there
are some important things
coming down the pike that
no one has the answer to.
The one that scares me
the most is the unemploy-
couple thousand one year. think on their feet. We’re
No one knows what’s go- pragmatic, we can turn on
ing to happen to unemploy- a dime. The crêpe machine
ment insurance come 2021. broke? Great, here’s pizza
Q: Are there going to be and free hot cocoa for ev-
assessments? After the worst erybody.
I just wish the govern-
ment could be that creative.
Hey: Great time to legalize
marijuana.
The adversarial relation-
ships between the state and
the city and our businesses
need to stop. We need to
realize we need each other.
The state has the power to
unemployment numbers do some significant things
since the Depression? for us. What the city can
A: They usually put it do is recognize our value as
back on the employer in pragmatic entrepreneurs.
some way, and there might People go work for gov-
be half the employers left. ernment, they get a pay-
The herd is thinning. It’s a
huge unknown.
ally at our wits’ end right
now. So, work with us. Un-
derstand that we are pretty
imaginative, pretty savvy,
experienced people.
Let’s just work together.
Because all small busi-
nesses want Buffalo to suc-
ceed. Why doesn’t it always
feel like the City of Buffalo
wants small businesses to
succeed? Why are there all
these little roadblocks in
our way?
Q: What do you want
the restaurant community’s
future landscape to look
like?
A: Post-pandemic Buf-
falo Niagara? I’m just try-
ing to think, because that’s
such a tough question.
Just this morning, I was
trying to think of ideas for
a ghost kitchen. Like, OK,
I’ve got takeout. I’ve got the
chalet. If there’s something
that one of my guys loves to
do, you know, is there a cui-
sine that is not being met?
Maybe we just set up
a ghost kitchen for some-
thing else – and then I calm
down.
Constantly focusing on
how to maneuver to survive
as a business.
That’s how we have to
think right now. It’s con-
stant. I’m all about ideas,
ideas. To think post-Covid,
what we’d like to see is …
(pause) I can’t imagine that
right now.

at you, find another restau-
rateur.
Q: What’s your review of
government support for res-
taurants?
ment insurance rate. At the
end of January, employers
can get assessed if the state
doesn’t have enough money
for that year’s unemploy-
WORSHIP
It would be crippling. I
can’t handle one more thing.
I don’t know how the state’s
going to address that, but
they have to be aware that

WITH US
A: The federal govern- ment. they cannot be slapping as-
ment failed. The Senate is Q: The state sends you a sessments on business, espe-
the villain. So I guess the bill for a piece of the red. cially small business.
answer is Western New York A: Yes. They break it Q: What do we need

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 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus 7

Workplace Safety

Derek Gee/Buffalo News

Dale Wittmer, HVAC service technician for John W. Danforth Co., replaces filters in the HVAC units on the roof of the Danforth offices. Upgraded filters help trap Covid-19 particles.

Covid-19 safety measures will stick around

By Samantha Christmann It applies a positive charge to
N E WS BUSI N E S S R E PORT E R
the liquid disinfectant as it trav-
els through the machine’s nozzle,

W
hen coronavirus hit
early last year, essential
stores and businesses
had very little time to
figure out how best to keep workers
safe on the job, and how to keep cus-
tomers safe in stores.
Later, as businesses began to
emerge from New York State’s
PAUSE, government and industry
had to figure out what preventative
measures needed to be put in place
before other stores and businesses
could reopen in phases.
Industries were tasked with re-
evaluating an aspect of business they
had long taken for granted: The abil-
ity of people to be in close physical
proximity to one another.
Quickly, businesses had to re-
think and revamp workspaces from
the factory floor to the sales floor.
From cleaning and sanitation to
personal protection and virus detec-
tion, companies came up with ways
to mitigate the risks of coronavirus
exposure.
Some of those measures, such as
mask wearing and upgraded air fil-
tration, were mandated by the state.
Others, such as special disinfecting
devices, were implemented by busi-
nesses on their own without govern-
ment intervention.
Tools such as the electrostatic
sprayer used by Tops Markets to dis-
infect its shopping carts, for example,
have been employed by companies
looking for a more convenient and
thorough yet less labor-intensive way
to stop the spread of the virus.
Whether a business tweaked its
practices on its own or because it
was required by the state, Covid-
mitigating features at work and in
public places don’t seem to be going
anywhere for now.
But how long will the mandates
and modifications stick around? How
long will customers have to wear
masks in stores? How long will it be
necessary for employees to have their
temperatures taken before work? Are
plexiglass partitions at the checkout
counter here to stay?
Will malls go back to less effec-
tive air filters in their HVAC systems
once they’re no longer required by
the state to use better ones? When
will the state ease up on the regula-
tions it requires of businesses? How
A touchless infrared thermometer is used to check a visitor at the entrance to Jericho Road Community
Health Center. Temperature checks are likely to continue for a while.
will the state decide when it’s safe to
do so?
Time will tell.
Thermal screening temperature
checks. Businesses test employees
before they head into work, salons
test customers before they’re served
and myriad other organizations use
them before admitting people inside.
With so many temperatures to take,
old-fashioned thermometers won’t do
the trick.
One solution, in use by Seneca
Niagara Casino Resort, is a thermal
scanning system. As gamblers and
workers arrive at the casino, they
pause to stand a distance in front
of the scanner and pose as if they
are having their picture taken at the
DMV.
Temperature checks are paired
with a health screening question-
naire that asks if the person has trav-
eled out of state, had contact with a
Covid-infected person, or any symp-
toms related to the virus, such as
cough, chills or shortness of breath.
Handheld infrared thermom-
eter checks. This digital tool has be-
come ubiquitous in the coronavirus
age. Because the thermometer hovers
near the forehead but doesn’t touch
it, the tool allows for contactless tem-
perature screening at arm’s length.
They’re less expensive but more
cumbersome than other tempera-
ture-check technology, including
walk-through thermal screening
gates and high-volume scanners that
use a camera system to monitor tem-
peratures in high-traffic areas.
While temperature checks are a
useful tool in keeping out actively ill
people, they cannot detect asymp-
tomatic sufferers or people using
fever-reducing medication such as
ibuprofen.
Masks in schools and stores.
Don’t leave home without them.
Masks are required in public places
now, just like a shirt and shoes: No
shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service.
Retailers and restaurants usually
have a stash of disposable masks to
offer customers so they don’t have to
turn them away.
Children wearing masks in
schools get short “mask breaks”
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
throughout the day, where they can
take their masks off for a few min-
utes at a time.
Even with vaccines starting to
roll out, health experts believe mask-
wearing will be a staple of daily life
for months to come.
Partitions. They first appeared at
grocery stores: Plexiglass partitions
bolted to checkout counters to create
a barrier between the cashier and
the customer.
Then, when New York State
mandated their use in areas where
workers could not socially distance
effectively, they began to pop up ev-
erywhere. Curtains, windows and
cubicles can also be used as long as
they create an impermeable barrier.
The state also later mandated parti-
tions between parties at communal
restaurant tables.
Electrostatic sprayers. Tops
Markets has enlisted the help of elec-
trostatic sprayers to clean its carts
between customers. The handheld
device aerosolizes disinfectant, but
takes it a step further than tradition-
al spraying methods.
which attracts it to negatively
charged surfaces, allowing it to
better cover and cling to hard, non-
porous surfaces.
Unlike conventional spraying
methods, electrostatic sprayers ap-
ply a positive charge to liquid dis-
infectants as they pass through the
nozzle. The positively charged dis-
infectant is attracted to negatively
charged surfaces, which allows for
efficient coating of hard nonporous
surfaces.
PPE kits. AdPro Sports uses its
apparel manufacturing and contract-
ing capabilities to produce branded
and nonbranded PPE and “Back to
Office Wellness” kits.
A subsidiary of Pegula Sports and
entertainment, it makes custom-
branded merchandise for sports
teams and business, including Nike,
Adidas and New Era Cap. Co. When
the pandemic hit, however, it pivoted
to the kits, which contain things like
latex gloves, masks and hand sani-
tizer.
CleanSlate UV. Novel challeng-
es call for novel solutions, but this
germ-battling device was created
well before the pandemic hit.
The CleanSlate UV unit, which is
about the size of a desktop printer,
kills bacteria on mobile devices, us-
ing ultraviolet light to sanitize and
disinfect them. It can be used in
health care, food and biotech facili-
ties. The company was a 43North
prizewinner and has operations in
Toronto and on Main Street.
Upgraded HVAC filters. Before
New York State allowed indoor shop-
ping malls to reopen, it required they
upgrade their HVAC filters to those
with a rating of MERV-13 or better,
or the highest-rate filter compatible
with their HVAC systems.
The higher the MERV rating, the
better the filter is at trapping Covid
particles. Improved air filtration has
become a common upgrade at busi-
nesses and offices since coronavirus
hit, even where it is not required.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo had
originally proposed that malls could
not reopen until they had installed
HEPA filters, but soon backed off
when he learned many HVAC sys-
tems would have to undergo exten-
sive work and retrofitting to accom-
modate the filters.
 8 The Buffalo News/Sunday, January 31, 2021/Prospectus

Fact Book

Factory pay remains above average Manufacturing jobs rise Local manufacturing output stabilizes
But manufacturing pay has grown just 7.5% since 2016 Factory employment grew during the recession Activity at local factories was flat during 2019
$70,000 6% 14%

$65,000 12%
4%
$60,000 10%
2%
8%
$55,000
0% 6%
$50,000
4%
$45,000
-2%
2%
$40,000
-4% 0%
$35,000
-2%
$30,000 -6%
-4%
$25,000
-8%
-6%
$20,000
-10% -8%
$15,000
-10%
$10,000 -12%
-12%
$5,000
-14% -14%
$0
’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19
’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19
Figures are from October of each month Adjusted for inflation
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Source: State Labor Department Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

Industry employment projections, 2016-2026

Take a long-term look at the jobs that are expected to see an increase in opportunities over the next five years, and those that are likely to see a decline.

Employment Employment
Net Percent Net Percent
Industry Title 2016 2026 Change Change Industry Title 2016 2026 Change Change
Total All Industries 715,280 770,600 55,320 7.7% Transportation and Warehousing 17,370 18,420 1,050 6.0%
Self Employed Workers, All Jobs 38,360 41,950 3,590 9.4% Air Transportation 100 110 10 10.0%
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 3,370 3,700 330 9.8% Rail Transportation 1,150 1,150 0 0.0%
Crop Production 1,890 1,960 70 3.7% Water Transportation 450 480 30 6.7%
Animal Production 1,190 1,430 240 20.2% Truck Transportation 4,790 4,890 100 2.1%
Forestry and Logging 100 100 0 0.0% Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation 3,770 4,010 240 6.4%
Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry 190 210 20 10.5% Support Activities for Transportation 3,070 3,390 320 10.4%
Mining 430 420 -10 -2.3% Couriers and Messengers 2,310 2,350 40 1.7%
Oil and Gas Extraction 90 110 20 22.2% Warehousing and Storage 1,440 1,720 280 19.4%
Mining (except Oil and Gas) 210 190 -20 -9.5% Information 8,220 7,350 -870 -10.6%
Support Activities for Mining 130 120 -10 -7.7% Publishing Industries (except Internet) 2,500 2,080 -420 -16.8%
Utilities 2,000 2,030 30 1.5% Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries 640 550 -90 -14.1%
Construction 23,840 26,060 2,220 9.3% Broadcasting (except Internet) 880 760 -120 -13.6%
Construction of Buildings 4,780 4,880 100 2.1% Telecommunications 3,020 2,600 -420 -13.9%
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 1,760 1,800 40 2.3% Data Processing, Hosting and Related Services 660 610 -50 -7.6%
Specialty Trade Contractors 17,300 19,380 2,080 12.0% Other Information Services 520 750 230 44.2%
Manufacturing 67,050 64,110 -2,940 -4.4% Financial Activities 37,540 37,500 -40 -0.1%
Food Manufacturing 7,240 6,500 -740 -10.2% Credit Intermediation and Related Activities 13,170 12,660 -510 -3.9%
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing 1,180 1,730 550 46.6% Securities, Commodity Contracts and Other Financial Investments 2,170 2,280 110 5.1%
Textile Product Mills 330 280 -50 -15.2% Insurance Carriers and Related Activities 14,140 14,090 -50 -0.4%
Apparel Manufacturing 720 470 -250 -34.7% Real Estate 5,720 6,090 370 6.5%
Wood Product Manufacturing 1,590 1,900 310 19.5% Rental and Leasing Services 2,280 2,330 50 2.2%
Paper Manufacturing 2,030 1,940 -90 -4.4% Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets 20 20 0 0.0%
Printing and Related Support Activities 2,040 1,480 -560 -27.5% Professional and Business Services 77,410 86,240 8,830 11.4%
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 540 420 -120 -22.2% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 28,800 31,600 2,800 9.7%
Chemical Manufacturing 5,270 4,860 -410 -7.8% Management of Companies and Enterprises 14,650 15,270 620 4.2%
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing 4,320 4,580 260 6.0% Administrative and Support Services 31,540 36,670 5,130 16.3%
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing 2,780 2,400 -380 -13.7% Waste Management and Remediation Service 2,420 2,700 280 11.6%
Primary Metal Manufacturing 1,990 1,840 -150 -7.5% Educational Services 77,440 83,900 6,460 8.3%
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 11,100 11,270 170 1.5% Health Care and Social Assistance 103,520 124,810 21,290 20.6%
Machinery Manufacturing 8,360 7,740 -620 -7.4% Ambulatory Health Care Services 33,480 44,260 10,780 32.2%
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 3,490 3,510 20 0.6% Hospitals 26,360 28,140 1,780 6.8%
Electrical Equipment, Appliance and Component Manufacturing 2,760 2,850 90 3.3% Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 24,590 28,550 3,960 16.1%
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 5,420 4,780 -640 -11.8% Social Assistance 19,090 23,860 4,770 25.0%
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing 1,600 1,570 -30 -1.9% Arts, Entertainment and Recreation 13,600 15,590 1,990 14.6%
Miscellaneous Manufacturing 3,920 3,670 -250 -6.4% Performing Arts, Spectator Sports and Related Industries 2,620 2,860 240 9.2%
Wholesale Trade 23,820 23,340 -480 -2.0% Museums, Historical Sites and Similar Institutions 750 900 150 20.0%
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 13,560 12,940 -620 -4.6% Amusement, Gambling and Recreation Industries 10,230 11,830 1,600 15.6%
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods 7,560 7,560 0 0.0% Accommodation and Food Services 60,140 68,870 8,730 14.5%
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers 2,700 2,840 140 5.2% Accommodation, including Hotels and Motels 6,530 7,100 570 8.7%
Retail Trade 75,600 77,030 1,430 1.9% Food Services and Drinking Places 53,610 61,770 8,160 15.2%
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers 9,540 10,330 790 8.3% Other Services (except Government) 33,090 35,390 2,300 7.0%
Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores 1,890 1,880 -10 -0.5% Repair and Maintenance 5,800 6,090 290 5.0%
Electronics and Appliance Stores 2,060 1,980 -80 -3.9% Personal and Laundry Services 6,840 7,450 610 8.9%
Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers 5,840 6,100 260 4.5% Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional and Similar Org. 17,940 19,770 1,830 10.2%
Food and Beverage Stores 18,560 18,820 260 1.4% Private Households 2,510 2,080 -430 -17.1%
Health and Personal Care Stores 6,030 6,550 520 8.6% Government 52,480 53,890 1,410 2.7%
Gasoline Stations 3,470 3,390 -80 -2.3% Federal Government, Excluding Post Office 7,670 7,910 240 3.1%
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores 5,860 5,470 -390 -6.7% Postal Service 3,080 2,680 -400 -13.0%
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book and Music Stores 2,920 2,850 -70 -2.4% State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals 10,060 10,100 40 0.4%
General Merchandise Stores 13,550 13,750 200 1.5% Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals 31,670 33,200 1,530 4.8%
Miscellaneous Store Retailers 4,160 4,070 -90 -2.2% Source: State Labor Department

Steady growth in health services Health and social assistance jobs take a hit Job losses cause a drop in total wages
An aging population helped the sector grow for 12 Sector had grown for five straight years before the Health care and social assistance total wages fell 7%
straight years pandemic arrived in the second quarter
7% 3% 8%

2%
6% 6%
1%
5%
0% 4%

4% -1%
2%
-2%
3%
-3% 0%
2%
-4%
-2%
1% -5%

-6% -4%
0%
-7%
-6%
-1%
-8%

-2% -9% -8%

’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 2017 2018 2019 2020
Figures are from the second quarter of each year, in millions of dollars
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Source: State Labor Department Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics