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Hudson Valley Innovators

2012 annual RepoRt

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Robert W. Amler, Vice President of Government Affairs New York Medical College

Kevin Bailey, President Putnam County Economic Development Corp.

Michael Bonura, Founding Partner Bonura Hospitality Group

Robert Bracco, Team Leader / Site Master Planning Transition Program Management Office Pfizer, Inc.

Joseph Commisso, Senior Manager and Team Leader of Business and Information Systems Mediacom Communications

John T. Cooney Jr., President Tilcon New York Inc.

Charles Degliomini, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and Corporate Communications Empire Resorts Inc.

Charles J. DiComo, Consultant NYBioHud Valley Advisor

Michael DiTullo, President and CEO Rockland Economic Development Corp.

Robert R. Dyson, Chairman The Dyson Foundation

Sean Eldridge, President Hudson River Ventures

Jeremy N. Ellenbogen, President and CEO The Ellenbogen Group

Jason Finkelberg, General Manager Pamal Broadcasting Ltd.

March Gallagher, Esq., Deputy Director Ulster County Economic Development Corp.

Laurence Gottlieb, Director of Economic Development Office of the Westchester County Executive

Maureen Halahan, President and CEO Orange County Partnership

Louis Heimbach, Chairman, CEO and President Sterling Forest Corp.

Mark Kastner, President The Chazen Companies

Michael T. Keegan, Regional President Hudson Valley North and Albany Divisions, M&T Bank

Steven V. Lant, Chairman, President and CEO CH Energy Group, Inc.

Intellectual capital, entrepreneurial spirit

make Hudson Valley stand outThe Hudson Valley enjoys a high quality of life because those that came before us invested and prepared for the future – students became innovators, entrepreneurs and skilled workers across a wide range of endeavors. That process continues today as we prepare the road for our future success.

Over 1 million individual working professionals are employed in the Hudson Valley region, with workforce standards that are among the highest in the country. For these people, holding a job with an outstanding company like PepsiCo, IBM, Verizon Wireless or any number of our leading employers means more than just a paycheck – it’s the chance to build personal satisfaction.

It is for this reason that the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. highlights just a few of our top innovative people in the 2012 annual report.

Our local companies are succeeding because of the accomplishments of outstanding individuals within those companies. As individual performance and productivity improves, companies reach new heights of excellence. New York continues to rank high in worker productivity in manufacturing.

Success is not possible without active enrichment of the mind and opportunities to showcase talent and skill. Thanks to the nearly 30 higher education facilities – including world-class institutions like The Culinary Institute of America, New York Medical College, Vassar College, Marist College, Pace University, Iona College and the United States Military Academy – the Hudson Valley is not only home to current innovators, but also to future generations of entrepreneurs and leaders. Over 20,600 students exit our schools as proud graduates each year and take up the mantle of excellence set forth by companies that are proud to call our region home.

Innovation is what keeps us moving forward into the future. As the Hudson Valley celebrates yet another progressive year of growth, HVEDC looks to the innovators of the region to continue pressing forward (starting on page 4). Because of our rich culture, enterprise and intellectual horsepower, businesses and individuals alike have reaped the success of 2012 and will continue to do so as we move into 2013.

Sincerely,

Steven V. Lant Chairman of the HVEDC Board

Letter from the Chairman

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Board of DirectorsRobert J. Levine, Partner Cuddy & Feder LLP

Erin Griffin Loosen, Director of Business Development and Marketing C.W. Brown Inc.

William Longhi, President and CEO Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc.

Catherine Maloney, President and CEO Dutchess County Economic Development Corp.

Jonah Mandelbaum, President Warwick Properties Inc.

Ralph A. Martinelli, Vice President Today Media

Dr. Robert Nowinski, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer ContraFect

James D. O’Donnell, Deputy County Executive Orange County

Michael Pashley, Senior Director Philips Research North America

John Rath, Senior Vice President TD Bank

Daniel G. Rothstein, General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer Provident New York Bancorp

Ann Rubenzahl, Assistant Dean of Continuing Education Westchester Community College

Jim Salmon, Regional Manager NYSEG

Allan Scott, CEO Sullivan County Partnership

James Smith, Founder and CEO Advance Testing

Josh Sommers, President and CEO Focus Media, Inc.

Robb E. Turner, Founder Crown Maple Syrup

Mark P. Weingarten, Partner DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise and Wiederkehr, LLP

Robert C. Wetenhall, Founder The Wetenhall Group

Peter Wilcox, Director, Government Affairs PepsiCo

Robert H. Wilder Jr., Principal Wilder Balter Partners, Inc.

2012 marked by many economic

development accomplishmentsThese past 12 months have seen an abundance of accomplishments for the Hudson Valley business community and those who are a part of it. We’ve experienced much success in our sustainable economy and have worked proactively with a number of key players to ensure the continued enrichment of the region as a whole. Through unique partnerships and a plethora of opportunities, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. has helped to ensure that the positives of 2012 will carry over to 2013 and beyond.

A crowning achievement and a step in the right direction for many of our staple businesses, the Hudson Valley now has the Food & Beverage Alliance to rely on when it comes to showcasing the talent of this important regional industry. Likewise, in the case of the biotech companies that have found success here, we’ve also been proud to expand NY BioHud Valley. These two groups shed light on the promising enterprise of the Hudson Valley and continue to enhance the region as a hub for economic development.

We’ve also seen exciting news stories from the Hudson Valley, which add to the growing list of positives HVEDC has experienced in its mission to exemplify all facets of the region. Bread Alone, a hometown business with pronounced success, has been awarded funding from Hudson River Ventures and the USDA to expand its facilities. PepsiCo has committed to Westchester County, choosing to stay in New York as opposed to relocating to another state. Hunter Panels, a strong employer for the region, will remain within the Hudson Valley long term when it relocates to a newly constructed 360,000-square-foot facility, allowing it to bolster its workforce. And the tourism industry in the Hudson Valley continues to boom. Our region is a top tourism destination according to National Geographic Traveler, and a place filled with activity thanks to the thriving economy contained within it.

These are just a few of the good news stories coming out of the Hudson Valley. All of this and more are made possible by the efforts of individuals and organizations dedicated to advancing the Hudson Valley and the businesses that keep it moving forward.

Regards,

Mike Oates President and CEO

President’s Message

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Innovators In the Hudson ValleyThe Hudson Valley is home to a unique group of people that have impacted the world and its products. Here are just a few.

James Bernardo Founder of Candela Systems

COMMITMENT TO SERVICEMike Finnegan’s entire career is marked by an extraordinary commitment to service: to his country, community and the environment. His company, Continental Organics, embodies the perfect combination of all three.

Finnegan began his career as an environmental lawyer, practicing nine years before accepting an appointed position as the chief counsel to the Governor of New York. Upon leaving that office, he led the Environmental Finance Group for JP Morgan in Manhattan, serving as a managing director of Investment Banking. After 11 years with JP Morgan, Finnegan retired to take a commission in the Army JAG Corps. He is the oldest-ever graduate of the Basic Officers Leadership Course at Fort Benning.

The founding philosophies of Continental Organics are highly reflective of the principles that guided Finnegan’s impressive career. Aquaponics is a method of farming that produces minimal negative impact on the environment, while providing fresh, pesticide- and genetically modified organism-free produce, fish and fertilizer. Continental Organics further serves to assist the veteran community with a workforce of 125 full-time employees; at least 50 percent of whom will be veterans. Many of these individuals are also disabled.

What does It mean to you to be an Innovator In the hudson valley?

Mike Finnegan Founder of Continental OrganicsTom Endres and Mike Finnegan

M y partner, Tom Endres, and I started the company because neither of us really wanted to retire. He retired from the Army after 28 years on active duty; and I after years on Wall Street and in Albany. …

Building a sustainable agriculture company was a logical outgrowth of those considerations. Orange County and the Hudson Valley were appealing because of their long relationship with the environmental movement, their emergence as a vital food hub, and tradition of innovation and entrepreneurship.

- Mike Finnegan

LIghTINg ThE fuTuREIn James Bernardo’s 22 years of working in the energy services industry, one thing has become abundantly clear – energy conservation is pivotal to providing children with the future they deserve. Through technological innovation and responsible energy practices, his company, Candela Systems Corp., is working to bring about a cleaner, brighter future.

After eight years in the lighting industry, where he learned about the economic and environmental benefits of energy-efficient lighting systems, Bernardo was presented with the opportunity to create his own company, one that was founded on and guided by the principles of environmental conservation that he holds dear. In accordance with these principles, Candela Systems has partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency, spearheading energy-efficient lighting initiatives through the Green Lights Project and the Energy Star program.

A New York State Certified Minority Owned Business Enterprise, Candela Systems serves the Hudson Valley by providing environmentally conscientious electrical contracting services. Bernardo has been awarded two U.S. patents and has served as the vice president to the board of the International Association of Lighting Management Companies.


F irst and foremost it means, ‘Home, a comfortable place to have the freedom to be creative.’ I do a lot of traveling and even though there are many, many different places out there the Hudson Valley is where I find

the most intellectual supporting groups of people and/or industries as well as everything you could want – from river walks and nature trails to big city Broadway shows and everything in between.

- James Bernardo

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S o often in science we scientists toil away for years to produce a piece of research, which hopefully will be published and perhaps read by only a few people. It

is such a great privilege for our laboratory to be able to provide the key seed strains for the flu vaccine in the early months of the year, which are used in that same year to protect the health and lives of millions of people around the world. And we get to do all of this in the beautiful surroundings of the Hudson Valley!

- Doris Bucher

CaTChINg ThE fLu BugDr. Doris Bucher grows influenza viruses at her lab at New York Medical College in Valhalla. Her lab is one of only three in the world to produce strains of flu virus that are used to create life-saving vaccines against this disease that kills people each year.

Producing virus seed strains is a complicated process that pairs advanced medical technologies with methods that have existed for over 100 years. Simply put, scientists inject an egg with both the target virus and a virus (high yield donor) that is known to reproduce very quickly. The viruses are then incubated inside the egg and treated with antibodies to eliminate surface antigens of the high yield donor. As they reproduce inside the egg, the viruses swap genes, creating new hybrids that look like the target virus on the outside, but have the reproductive capabilities of the high yield virus on the inside. This allows scientists to produce large quantities of virus that can be used to teach the body’s immune system to attack the target virus.

Following the serious outbreak of swine flu in 2009, Bucher became the focus of national attention as she began production of H1N1 seed strains for a swine flu vaccine. Her lab produced the key strains for the vaccine, which would go on to dramatically reduce the disease’s spread and virulence.

Through her work on both seasonal flu viruses and the swine flu virus, Bucher has been instrumental in creating vaccines that have saved millions of lives across the globe.

Dr. Doris Bucher Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at New York Medical College

Photo by William Taufic

fROM TREE TO TaBLEWhen Robb Turner bought the 800-acre tract of land in Dutchess County that would eventually become home to his company, Crown Maple, he wasn’t thinking about business or even syrup. He was primarily motivated by an appreciation for the land, which serves as home to beautiful trout streams and expansive woodland. Upon discovering the untapped potential of his land, with its high concentration of sap-producing maples that could be used to harvest maple syrup, Turner set about researching syrup production.

The more than 2,000 miles of tubing and taps that collect sap from Turner’s organic maple forest are methodically placed in order to be minimally intrusive to natural forest growth and wildlife. State-of-the-art tree tapping is a sustainable practice and causes no negative impact to the forest. Utilizing the safest methods possible when a maple reaches tapping maturity, the trees on Turner’s land are capable of producing sap for duration of their lifespan. The sap is rendered into syrup using highly innovative technological and artisanal processes, producing a range of syrups and other pure maple products, which are quickly becoming staples in some of the country’s top professional kitchens. Turner’s creation of Crown Maple is a perfect fusion of conscience and ingenuity.

Now expanded to include a chef’s garden, orchard, farm stand and café for thousands of visitors each year, Madava Farms stands as an example that the value of old forests can be about more than just their natural beauty.

Robb Turner Founder of Madava Farms, The Home of Crown Maple


C rown Maple is using technology to set new standards of quality and efficiency in maple products. The Hudson Valley offers a unique environment of natural maple

forest lands, a high-quality work force and a burgeoning specialty food industry while being closely situated to one of the country’s largest, most sophisticated consumer markets. I cannot imagine a better environment for an innovative company in maple products.

- Robb Turner

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W e innovate by finding the ways to stay true to the principles that are most important to us, despite outside and market pressures that push in other

directions. To that end, we strive to continue growing with and improving our communities through our contribution of simple, honest and organic breads and foods that we believe speak to the best in us.

- Dan Leader and Sharon Burns-Leader

BREaD BuSINESS CONTINuES RISEThe decision to live in New York’s Hudson Valley is an easy one: The area is beautiful, affordable, and less than two hours from New York City. The story of Dan Leader and Sharon Burns-Leader’s Bread Alone Bakery shows that it is an area of great opportunity, as well.

Bread Alone started in 1983 when, with nothing more than tremendous drive and the dream of baking organic, hearth bread in the tradition of Europe’s finest bakers, Dan Leader moved his family from New York City to the Catskill Mountains. Dan built Bread Alone in an old garage on a non-descript access road off of Route 28, and simply began baking.

There was an immediate response, and Bread Alone would soon become a culinary destination for thousands and produce breads for the finest food stores and restaurants in the region. Bread Alone’s mystique is perhaps best captured by its beautiful, wood-fired brick ovens, built by a third-generation Parisian oven mason, Andre LeFort. The ovens started with a hand-shake arrangement for Andre to travel to America to build the ovens, and the rest is history.

Bread Alone has grown steadily each of its 30 years in business, but Bread Alone still produces the same hearth-baked, organic products that were Dan’s original inspiration. Today, Bread Alone operates retail cafés in Boiceville, Woodstock and Rhinebeck, and sells its breads through farmers’ market around the region, the area’s best supermarkets, and many restaurants and cafés. This summer Bread Alone will be opening a new production facility in Lake Katrine.

Dan Leader & Sharon Burns-Leader Founders of Bread Alone

INNOVaTION OuT Of NECESSITyTom Kallish founded his company, Tommie Copper, out of a physical need. Already having severe arthritis, Tom endured a severe water skiing accident in which he shattered his hip, knee and four discs in his back, adding to his already debilitating pain. The medical compression devices used to treat his condition were bulky and uncomfortable, and only able to be worn for limited periods of time. Utilizing his years of experience in the textile industry, Kallish sought to invent a better solution.

Tommie Copper “The Company” produces compression products, which can be worn over virtually every part of the body. This includes ankle, knee, calf, wrist and elbow sleeves, as well as shirts, shorts, tights, gloves and socks. Traditional compression can only be worn for short periods of time, and it is a well-known fact that compression only works when you wear it. The idea was to design therapeutic copper compression so comfortable that it could be worn 24 hours a day. The products are so comfortable; they even can be worn while you’re sleeping (the body’s best time to heal). The products themselves are made from a proprietary copper-infused yarn that helps alleviate pain, stimulate blood flow and reduce swelling, accelerating the healing process.

Based on an overwhelming success with more than a million customers in its first year, the company is going to expand its product categories to include casual lifestyle products and shapewear, a natural path for Tommie Copper’s technology, which gives comfort and creates wellness to all its customers.

Tom Kallish Founder of Tommie Copper



W e could not have picked a better place to organically grow our business than the Lower Hudson Valley. From it, we find a sense of community, belonging

and well-being. We have grown from six employees to 45 employees in one year and every one of our staff members has been hand-picked from the Lower Hudson Valley. The philosophy in our company is to treat our employees like family members. From that, we have created an energy that is Tommie Copper.

- Tom Kallish

Dan Leader, Nels Leader and Sharon Burns-Leader

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I have always tried to adhere to three cardinal rules: buy right, finance right and operate right. With this simple operating philosophy and with the phenomenal support

of our Hudson Valley-based corporate management team, we have grown Mediacom from a mere business concept into one of the largest cable companies in the United States.

- Rocco Commisso

gROwTh wITh aCquISITIONWhen Rocco Commisso founded Mediacom in the basement of his home in 1995, few would have foreseen his company becoming the nation’s 8th largest cable operator with more than $1.5 billion in annual revenues.

Commisso moved to the U.S. at the age of 12 from Calabria, Italy. He earned his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering and MBA from Columbia University.

He spent the next decade working in the financial community. He forged his earliest ties to the cable business initially at Chase Manhattan Bank, and later at Royal Bank of Canada where he led the bank’s U.S. lending activities to the media and communications sectors.

In 1986, he joined Liberty, NY, based Cablevision Industries as EVP, CFO and director. By the time he left to start Mediacom, Cablevision had grown from the 25th to the 8th largest cable company in the country.

Mediacom was born out of Commisso’s vision to acquire and refurbish cable systems in the nation’s underserved smaller communities. Today, Mediacom, with its 4,600 employees across 22 states, is the leading provider of video, data and voice services to 1.3 million residential and commercial customers in 1,500 small cities and towns across America.

Among his national honors, he has received the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the National Italian American Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award and the Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership, the cable industry’s highest honor.

Rocco Commisso Chairman and CEO of Mediacom

N ew York City was where I learned the science but the Hudson Valley was the place where we started a biotech venture and grew it to have a global reach.

I always wanted to be in or close to New York City to enjoy all of what the city offers and continue innovative biotechnology ventures in a pleasant and supportive environment. The Hudson Valley offers the best of both worlds.

- Nezih Cereb

MORE ThaN aN ExPERTTo say that Dr. Nezih Cereb is an expert in his field would be an understatement. The author of 20 peer-reviewed publications, the recipient of the Winston Fellowship in Biomedical Research and the innovator of methods used in tissue typing, Cereb is a truly exceptional professional.

Cereb received postdoctoral training in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University.

Cereb developed expertise in Basic and Clinical Immunology during his fellowship training and basic laboratory research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He worked on fundamental issues of molecular tissue typing and T-Cell immune response. He helped Dr. Soo Young Yang to set up the Molecular Immunogenetics Laboratory New York Medical College, and is currently the CEO and co-founder of Histogenetics. Along with Dr. Yang, Cereb worked to establish a process that makes HLA-class 1 DNA typing possible. Histogenetics utilizes the process the two developed to provide tissue typing services, including typing for donor registries, donor centers and transplant centers.

Cereb’s professional ambition and commitment to his work have led him to develop entirely new tools and practices in the medical field. At Histogenetics, he puts these into practice, providing necessary tissue typing services not only to the New York metropolitan area medical community, but to the whole world. Cereb is much more than an expert – he is a pioneer.

Dr. Nezih Cereb Co-Founder of Histogenetics



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W e don’t consider ourselves as innovators. We simply strive to be the best in our industry by following our strategic plan, which is a constant work in progress.

Essentially, what medical labs are to hospitals, doctors, nurses and patients – we are to owners, engineers, architects and contractors. In either industry you want timely and accurate results and expect a first-class facility. Anyone who meets our employees and visits our lab understands our dedication to quality service and our mission to continually set and improve industry standards.

- Jim Smith

MaTERIaLS TESTINg gOES gLOBaLJim Smith knows the field of materials testing inside and out. Now the owner of a company with offices in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Florida, and numerous mobile laboratories, he has positioned Advance Testing to provide its services on a global landscape.

When he founded Advance Testing, Smith was working out of his condo in Beacon. The startup took a quick foothold, and by 1985 the company moved into a new location in Newburgh. Over the next eight years, the company grew from three employees to more than 40.

Recognizing a coming change in the industry, Advance Testing was quick to adopt new technologies and practices that would revolutionize the industry, placing the company as a leader in its field. It was the first laboratory in the Northeast to operate using a new gyratory compactor and National Center for Asphalt Technology ignition furnace. The ignition furnace is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method for accurate determination of asphalt content. This method, along with automatic operation, frees technicians to complete other tasks while this test is being performed.

The Superpave gyratory compactor is used in the Superpave mixture design system to prepare asphalt specimens for determining volumetric and mechanical properties. It simulates the kneading action of rollers used to compact asphalt concrete pavements by applying a vertical load to an asphalt mixture while gyrating a mold tilted at a specified angle.

IMPROVINg PEOPLE’S LIVESDr. Ron Cohen is founder, president and CEO of Acorda Therapeutics.

Graduating with a BA in psychology from Princeton University, Cohen went on to earn his MD at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Following a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia Medical Center, Cohen went on to pursue his career as an entrepreneur and innovator.

Cohen founded Acorda Therapeutics in 1995 to fulfill a challenging mission: To develop therapies that restore neurological function and improve the lives of people with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and other disorders of the nervous system. He began Acorda as a virtual company, with no labs or offices of its own; rather the company existed as a collaboration among 10 leading academic scientists whom Cohen recruited for their expertise in areas related to nervous system repair. While Ardsley-based Acorda now has more than 380 associates, external networks remain critical to the company’s success, as Acorda continues to collaborate extensively with outside scientific, medical and patient groups.

Acorda’s accomplishments are based on extraordinary levels of innovation, perseverance and dedication to improving people’s lives, which are the hallmarks of those who work there.

Dr. Ron Cohen Founder, President and CEO of Acorda Inc.



A corda focuses on developing therapies for people with neurological diseases, including AMPRYA, the only medication indicated to improve walking for people with MS. Thanks to the success of AMPYRA, we have

been able to invest in R&D of several other compounds that may potentially help people with conditions such as MS, stroke, CP, epilepsy and heart failure. These programs have enabled us to expand our operations and create new jobs in Westchester County. The biopharmaceutical industry is one of our country’s greatest engines of innovation and economic growth. As a native New Yorker, I’m pleased that we’ve been able to grow our company here and we look forward to continuing our partnership with HVEDC to expand the biotechnology hub in the Hudson Valley.

- Ron Cohen

Jim Smith Founder of Advance Testing

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STRIkINg a DEaL wITh COL. SaNDERSRobert Julius, CEO and chairman of Nice-Pak, has had a positive influence over countless lives, even if his name is not immediately recognizable to the general public. However, anyone who has worked at a restaurant, received a vaccination or cleaned up after a messy baby is probably familiar with Julius’s work. Nice-Pak is the world-leading producer of wet wipes, which are packaged nonwoven cloths pre-soaked in specially formulated cleansing solutions.

Nice-Pak was founded in 1957 by Julius’s father, Arthur Julius, and quickly took off after the company struck a deal with Kentucky Fried Chicken that introduced Wet-Naps to a national audience. Nice-Pak continued to expand its range of products and applications to include antiseptic wipes for medical use, sanitizing wipes for food preparation surfaces in restaurants and re-sealable travel packs of baby wipes.

Under Robert Julius’ leadership, Nice-Pak has seen continuous growth and prosperity. The sale of wet wipes as consumer products has created a boom in the industry, which is now estimated at $4 billion globally. In 2009, Nice-Pak spun off a sister company, PDI, which focuses exclusively on researching, developing and manufacturing wet wipes for medical use. Together, Nice-Pak and PDI employ more than 960 people in Rockland County.

Julius currently runs Nice-Pak alongside his son, Zachary Julius, who brings the company legacy into its third generation.

Robert Julius CEO of Nice-Pak



T he collaborative spirit and unique medicine available in New York were the most key factors in our decision to build in the Hudson Valley. Plus, the proximity to the

intellectual capital in New York City and the Hudson Valley, or BioHud Valley, makes it a natural fit to have our business here. We need high-level employees and they are right here.

- Robert Nowinski

BIOTEChNOLOgy, BuSINESS MEET Dr. Robert Nowinski’s professional accomplishments are staggering in both scale and number. He is the founder of six successful biotech companies, three of which were purchased by major pharmaceutical companies, and he developed the leading treatment for cystic fibrosis, a rapid diagnostic test for chlamydia and the popular erectile dysfunction drug Cialis. He also holds numerous patents within the biotech field.

Nowinski’s passion for scientific innovation began at an early age. At 14, he volunteered at a branch of the Sloan-Kettering Institute in Rye, performing his own experiments that would eventually earn him national recognition as a finalist in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search.

As a professional, Nowinski’s work quickly distinguished him within his field, and when a group of financiers approached him with funding to start a biotech firm, he saw a huge opportunity. The company they founded, called Genetic Systems Corp., was under his direction for four years before it was sold to Bristol-Myers for $310 million in 1986. Since then, Nowinski has founded five other biotech companies, two of which – PathoGenesis Corp. and Icos Corp. – were also bought by major pharmaceutical companies for $660 million and $2.2 billion, respectively.

Founded in 2008, ContraFect is Nowinski’s most recent venture. ContraFect arose as new technology became available to treat infectious diseases – particularly those that resist treatment or vaccines and are among the leading causes of death in hospitals. The company’s focus is primarily on resistant staphylococcus infections and influenza.

Dr. Robert Nowinski Founder of Contrafect

T he high caliber talent available in the Hudson Valley has helped Nice-Pak and PDI achieve continuing success and growth over the years. Being in a “pharmaceutical corridor”

provides levels of expertise that has allowed us to make the highest quality products possible and be compliant with all the government regulations that our products are required to meet. The Hudson Valley also provides the type of environment that you want your associates to raise their families in. We are surrounded by beautiful mountains and forests yet have easy access to all that the New York greater metropolitan area has to offer.

- Robert Julius

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Boiceville-based Bread Alone, a premier artisan bakery located in the Hudson Valley, has secured a $250,000 loan for a new baking and retail facility. The loan has been awarded from Hudson River Ventures, LLC, a small business investment fund focused on promoting the growth and success of local companies. The loan from Hudson River Ventures comes alongside another larger loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Business and Industry totaling $4.6 million. These two funding sources will build an essential foundation for Bread Alone to expand its business and market presence. The company’s goal is to upgrade, furnish and outfit a new facility in Lake Katrine with the necessary tools to help it succeed for years to come.

In 2013, Bread Alone will begin work on transforming the 26,000-square-foot space into a state-of-the-art baking facility that utilizes traditional artisan baking techniques to make a unique and respected product.

A chief expenditure Bread Alone will invest in, with the help of the Hudson River Ventures loan, is a traditional thermo-oven system manufactured by the renowned German oven manufacturer Heuft. Alongside this essential purchase will come a dough retarding and proofing system from Dutch refrigeration expert Koma. These appliances will be instrumental in raising the bottom line for Bread Alone, helping the company reach its fiscal goal of doubling its revenue over the next five years.

An economic development idea to pull together the food and beverage businesses and supporting companies from around the Hudson Valley took root in 2012. The Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. officially launched its Hudson Valley Food and Beverage Alliance early in the year with an event attended by more than 200 of the area’s food and beverage companies, suppliers and elected officials at The Culinary Institute of America’s Danny Kaye Theatre on the Hyde Park campus.

The discussion – mostly to shape the course of the food and beverage industry in the Hudson Valley for 2012 and beyond – included topics such as exploring business-to-business needs, industry policies at the state and federal levels, workforce training and education initiatives including funding opportunities, access to capital through loan and grant programs and networking. Speakers included Dr. Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America; Laurence Gottlieb, director of economic development for Westchester County; and Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro.

The Food and Beverage Alliance’s mission is to focus on helping food and beverage companies in the region work together as strong partners and market their products all over the United States. The organization has now grown to more than 50 committed members and is continuing to expand.

The Alliance began a series of “Food For Thought” seminars educating people in the industry to help them operate their businesses more efficiently. By year’s end, the Food & Beverage Alliance had received a federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) award of $3.4 million to launch the new coalition and create a facility to help local farmers recover from the previous year’s tropical storms as well as develop new business opportunities with New York food companies. The Alliance will use the funding at The Culinary Institute of America to construct a facility that is designed to help farmers link up with New York food and beverage producers and develop business relationships to help those farmers bounce back from the devastating tropical storms.

seed planted foR Hudson Valley food & BeVeRage allIanceGroup will continue to focus on helping companies work together on common issues

BRead alone contInues gRowtH wItH fundIng

toP headlInes of 2012

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pepsIco to call westcHesteR Home foR yeaRs to comePepsiCo, the worldwide food and beverage leader, has made the decision to renovate its headquarters in Purchase, showing its dedication to Westchester County for the foreseeable future.

The choice to stay at its current location and improve upon the status of the building represents growth and leadership for both PepsiCo and the Hudson Valley region. The company employs more than 1,100 people at its headquarters and benefits the local economy in numerous ways. It has been doing so since 1970, when it relocated to its current location from New York City.

The state of New York and its governing powers have played an integral role in retaining the massive company’s business and renewing its outlook for success in the Hudson Valley. Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have ensured a state tax credit of $4 million through the county’s Industrial Development Agency. Alongside this generous tax incentive, government leaders have also stressed the importance of having an anchoring company to uplift and uphold the economy of the region.

RegeneRon Is at tHe top of Its gameScience magazine has recognized Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading pharmaceutical company based in Tarrytown, as the top biopharmaceutical employer in the world through the publication’s annual survey. This prestigious honor comes a year after the company was named second in the world for employment in 2011, outranking other North American companies, as well as those from Europe and Asia.

Regeneron has been growing steadily since its incorporation in 1989 and has been on the forefront of creating and commercializing innovative new medicines for the health and welfare of those that depend on them. The company currently markets three drugs focused on treating serious medical conditions: EYLEA® (aflibercept), ZALTRAP® (ziv-aflibercept) and ARCALYST® (rilonacept).

With 1,900 employees and the potential for continued growth in the future, Regeneron has been a major player in not only the world marketplace, but also in the local economy. The firm has bolstered the local workforce of the Hudson Valley and brought international recognition to the region.

PepsiCo’s renewed facilities will mark the beginning of a new era for the company and its headquarters. Along with the employment of up to 1,250 local area construction workers, the company is striving for LEED status. This eco-friendly step will add even greater value to PepsiCo’s 420,000 square feet of office space in Purchase by saving money over the long term through energy efficiency, reduced building costs and lower emissions output.

Unmarred by fiscal bounds, the decision for PepsiCo to remain situated in its current location was not made without prospecting in other areas. For years now, Connecticut has provided enticing promises for the food and beverage corporation. However, with a renewal of its lease in March 2011, PepsiCo made its decision to keep its headquarters as the crown jewel of the Platinum Mile in Westchester.

HunteR panels cHooses long-teRmHudson Valley sIteHunter Panels, a division of Carlisle Companies, has decided to keep its operations in the Hudson Valley. Hunter Panels is relocating its manufacturing functions in Kingston to a new 360,000-square-foot facility to be built on approximately 30 acres at the Hudson Valley Crossing property in Hamptonburgh.

The company plans to staff the new facility with between 70 to 90 workers and anticipates breaking ground on the new project in 2013.

The company’s proposal to build the new plant can be expanded to 400,000 square feet. The shovel-ready property has easy access to rail, and is near Stewart Airport, Interstate 84 and Interstate 87, which were also critical in the firm’s decision-making process.

NY BioHud Valley has taken the next step in its development as a regional industrywide coalition. Construction has begun on iBio-NY, a biotechnology incubator located on New York Medical College’s campus in Valhalla. This is the first phase of a major construction project that when completed is expected to create 140 full-time jobs and an additional 75 part-time jobs in the Hudson Valley and give a boost to the biotechnology industry throughout the region.

The college held a ceremony on campus in December for the formal launch of construction, and was joined for the occasion by Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council (MHREDC) Co-chair Leonard S. Schleifer, who is also president and CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Empire State Development CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams; and state and local officials.

The incubator will allow small start-up biotechnology firms to discover candidate drugs and vaccines for advance development and commercialization, in support of New York’s BioHud Valley initiative. The initial stages of the project, expected to cost $14 million for all currently funded projects, are being supported by a grant from Empire State Development (ESD), which was secured by the MHREDC, as well as the New York Generating Employment through New York Science (GenNYsis) program, New York’s Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program (HECap), and private institutional funds from NYMC.

The renovated facility also will house a regional biotech business training center, funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), and will be operated collaboratively with the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. and Westchester Community College.

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