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Preferred: In the
‘people helping’
business
www.evesun.com
Published by The Evening Sun
Expanding and staying
put in Chenango
Submitted Photo
A group of employees from Norwich Pharmaceuticals is seen in East Park in downtown Norwich on Alvogen Day this past Sept. of 2015.
BY CAMERON TURNER
Sun Staff Writer
[email protected]
NORWICH – Norwich
Pharmaceuticals looks to
continue its already long history in the community, spanning some 128 years.
Through the many years,
ownership has changed hands
numerous times and with
those changes, have come
new and different business
strategies.
“The ability to evolve with
the ever-changing dynamics
of the pharmaceutical business. Without the evolution
and willingness to change
pharmaceutical companies do
die. So our willingness to be
able to change, and the
aggressiveness to make the
right investments, and the
right investments in people,”
said Charlie Andrews, Vice
President,
Operations,
regarding what has helped
keep
Norwich
Pharmaceuticals stay around
in the community for such a
long period of time.
For the past six years,
Norwich Pharmaceuticals has
been associated with the
Alvogen organization as their
parent company. Alvogen has
been a strong partner and has
implemented a strategy of
moving
Norwich
Pharmaceuticals from a contract manufacturing organization to one focused primarily
on the production of Alvogen
products.
As Alvogen has expanded
its portfolio of products in the
United States, many of those
are coming to Norwich pharmaceuticals to be manufactured. There were seven new
products launched from
Norwich Pharmaceuticals in
2015 and six expanded product lines.
“We have a longstanding
and highly trained workforce.
Part of the Alvogen model is
to try to make drug products
that are difficult to manufacture. That will essentially
provide us our competitive
edge,” said Ric Festarini, Vice
President, Human Resources.
“That speaks to the evolution
and of us being adaptable, as
we have to focus on the product, to help make it viable.”
Critical to the future of the
site, is the ability to deliver
products to specification, on
time and in full. In 2015
Norwich Pharmaceuticals
met all of the 10 primary metrics upon which the efficiency and effectiveness of the
site is judged, inclusive of
safety, quality and revenue
targets.
Another significant benefit
derived from the Alvogen
ownership, is their willingness to invest for the future of
Norwich Pharmaceuticals.
2015 saw the approval of
the largest capital investment
in the almost 400,000 square
CONTINUED
ON
PAGE 16
In their own words:
Laura Parker
2015 was a big year for
me. In January I was
admitted to the New York
State Bar Association,
moved back to New York,
and started my first postlaw school job in the legal
field as an Assistant
District
Attorney
in
Broome County. This summer I learned how to golf,
and in September I got
engaged. In November I
became the first female
Assistant District Attorney
in Chenango County. Now
CONTINUED
ON
PAGE 17
16
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
PUBLISHED
BY
THE EVENING SUN
Norwich Pharma gets involved –
CONTINUED
FROM
PAGE 15
foot facility since its original construction in the
1970’s.
The building is being
expanded to allow for the
installation of new Fluid Bed
dryers. This equipment is
heavily used in the production of newer types of medications and keeps the site
current with the manufacturing technology of the industry. The $26 million dollar
project is “on track, on time
and on budget.” It should be
noted that much of the capital
investment is being spent
locally,
with
Stantec
Engineering leading the
design efforts for the new
building and Henderson
Construction
completing
much of the construction
work.
“We are evolving into it
and it is a 3-5 year plan, to
develop products on the
equipment once it is built and
then have those products
approved by the FDA so we
can manufacture for commercial sale. Our projection is to
bring on more employees in
3-5 years, once this is all
complete,”
explained
Andrews.
Andrews alleged that the
new Fluid Bed dryer equipment should be operational
and ready to start developing
products by November of
2016.
“A 26 million dollar investment, which spans over a
two-year period. We have
only spent about half of it so
far in 2015, saving the other
half for 2016. On top of this
A group of employees from Norwich Pharmaceuticals pauses for a photo in front of Matthews Ford,
on Alvogen Day.
expansion, the amount of
work in renovations that has
been conducted on the building in 2015 equates to about 9
million dollars. Between
equipment and upgrades to
the facility, this is a great
investment in a one year portfolio,” said Andrews.
Festarini clarified what
exactly is meant when the
term expansion is used,
“businesses have to continuously invest so they can stay
current and be viable. Rather
than the expected increase of
jobs as expected by the public
when mentioning any expan-
sion, sometimes it is maintenance. For example if you
still have the same car, you
have to invest money into it
just to keep the car on the
road.”
Despite internal success
and expansions, Norwich
Pharmaceuticals has always
had a community focus, with
membership on various
boards and related organizations throughout the community. The past few years has
seen
the
Norwich
Pharmaceuticals encourage
community
volunteerism
amongst all its employees.
“The parent company,
Alvogen has this basic idea
that their facilities should be
engaged in the communities
they are in. It is one thing just
say it but another to actually
make something happen, and
we have,” said Festarini.
Alvogen Day, through
community focus, has grown
in stature each of the past
three years and Norwich
Pharmaceuticals is looking
forward to doing even more
in 2016.
Time away from work has
been provided for community
clean-up efforts such as
Andrews.
Strong internal campaigns
are run each year in support
of the United Way and Relay
for Life fundraisers. This
year’s United Way campaign
exceeded its objectives of
$45,000 dollars, and delivered in excess of $48,000 to
the local charity.
“What is important is the
money stays in Chenango
County and we are very
proud of that,” said Andrews.
Norwich Pharmaceuticals
has most recently endorsed
three of its employees, to participate
in
Leadership
Chenango, being led by the
Chamber of Commerce.
Leadership Chenango is an 8month program which helps
provide leadership skill training to its participants and
builds a foundation for them
to give back to the community through future involvement
in charitable initiatives.
“It is very beneficial to
Submitted Photo
people in the community who
during their community cleanup have a long standing history
of being in Chenango
County,” said Andrews.
Alvogen Day, as well as other “whether you grew up here or
charitable organization sup- moved here twenty years ago,
port activities. This past year the people involved are peo(2015)
in
September, ple who are embedded here.
Norwich Pharmaceuticals So they have a very vested
entirely shut down all produc- interest in not only improving
tion on a Friday, a first ever, their own leadership capabiliand brought its entire work- ties, but also sitting on boards
force of 300 employees into and getting involved.”
downtown Norwich to com“We’ve got a great story
plete beautification projects here at the facility for the
requested by the City and entire year, and look forward
charitable agencies.
to another great year ahead of
“Alvogen day is all about us,” Andrews concluded.
giving back to the community. It is all about finding what
in the community our facility
can help support,” said
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PUBLISHED
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17
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
THE EVENING SUN
In their own words: Best of Chenango:
Laura Parker
CONTINUED
FROM
PAGE 1
I’m shopping for my first
home.
I’ve known I wanted to be a
lawyer as far back as I could
remember. My best friend,
Annika, recently said, “I
remember the day you told
me you wanted to go to law
school. It happened when we
were in high school, in the
Norwich Wal-Mart parking
lot, where all good stories
begin.” It was a plan, a goal
for which I would not take no
for an answer. I knew I was
going to be a lawyer. I wanted to embark on a successful
career where I could make a
difference, where I could help
others. That passion drove me
to work hard, do well in
school, and do whatever it
took to achieve my goal.
Growing up in Chenango
County I learned the value of
hard work. I was always
taught to be nice to others,
and never give up. At a very
young age a strong work ethic
was instilled in me. My parents taught me that I had to
work hard for what I wanted
and that my success was not
going to be handed to me. A
work ethic somewhat unique
to Chenango County, as
opposed to other places I
have lived. Though I lived in
the ‘city’ of Norwich, many
of my fellow Chenango
County residents know what I
am talking about. Many of
you are used to getting up
early to work, milking cows
or bailing hay. All while
going to school and playing a
sport.
I used that work ethic to get
myself through college, law
school, as well as taking and
passing two state bar exams. I
carry that work ethic with me,
in my job and my day-to-day
life. I hope to use that work
ethic to achieve yet another
goal – a successful career that
means something. Becoming
the first female Assistant
District
Attorney
in
Chenango County. Wow.
Amazing. Now, I do not
embark on this career to boast
or to brag. I am beginning my
career with pride that I am in
the place I need to be to make
a difference. To help others
in the community where I
was raised and the community I appreciate and respect. I
may not be in the most popular position in the county, but
I am here to continue to make
Chenango County a place to
be proud of.
At a recent Christmas
party, my uncle asked me,
“did you send anyone to jail
recently?” While the question
was in jest, I do not work with
the hope that I will send
someone to jail. I go to work
with the hope that someday I
will not have to send anyone
to jail. Now, I know that is not
a reality. Crime does happen.
But it is an outlook. A mindset. I am in the business of
helping the community to be
a safer place to live and to
raise a family. A community
that I was not only raised in,
but a community that I chose
to return to, a community that
I call home.
Many people have commented to my parents about
how nice it is to see a local
Norwich grad come back to
the area, start a career, and to
raise a family. I join in that
sentiment. I am proud to
come back; to bring pride, to
bring prosperity, and to bring
hope to this community.
Looking back, when I was
in high school, I never imagined I would be back in
Norwich for my career. It’s
been an unlikely path, which
I am now embracing as the
right one. I could not be happier to be back in my hometown, back to my roots, back
to the place that I am proud to
call my home.
Success Story
Chenango practically
bleeds orange
and green
stopped – that is until Betty
McDaniel resurrected the
Sun Staff Writer
event in 2001. McDaniel
[email protected]
organized approximately 80
individuals to march up North
NORWICH – Whether Main carrying banners and
they’re Irish or just Irish for a flags. Twenty-one groups
day, folks in Chenango participated the following
County need look no further year, and the parade continthan the local St. Patrick’s ues strong today.
Day festivities to celebrate
It goes much the same in
their Celtic roots.
the City of Norwich, where
From parades to clog danc- Irish pride couldn’t be more
ing to corn beef and cabbage, evident. Residents kick-off
local venues come alive with with the annual St. Patty’s
Irish customs – and, of Day parade and Irish flag
course, all things green. In raising in East Park, often
Sherburne, a town that proud- accompanied by Irish folk
ly shows off its Irish pride, dance and music from the
dozens of groups march in East Park Stage.
the St. Patrick’s Day parade
But what sets Norwich
alongside bagpipers, Irish
apart
from its surrounding
dancers, political heads, and
Irish
kin
of sorts is the contincountless displays of orange,
uing
celebration
into the late
white and green.
evening hours. Many local
The Sherburne parade orig- bars offer one day only speinally began in the 1970s, cialty drinks. After all, it
when Denny O’Connor wouldn’t be St. Patty’s Day
marched up North Main without an abundance of
Street from the Sherburne green beer. No business
Inn, beating his drum and knows this better than the
leading walkers to Lewis’ Blarney Stone Pub. Last year,
Restaurant. After Denny’s the Pub played host to scores
passing,
the
marchers of festival-goers that turned
BY SHAWN MAGRATH
out see the six-member Ryan
Clan, Chenango County’s
own Irish folk music ensemble.
The Ryan Clan has long
been the go-to band for footstomping,
hand-clapping,
sing-along Irish music in the
county. From the small spotlight of the Blarney Stone
Pub to the grand stage of the
Chenango Arts Council, thousands of locals have watched
the Ryan Clan perform and
hale the band as the area’s
leading Irish folk group.
“Irish music has such a
broad spectrum,” said Ryan
Clan lead vocalist Frank
Revoir. “What we do is try to
take a mix of music, most
which requires harmony, and
present that on stage.”
No “luck of the Irish” needed, the local St. Patrick’s Day
festivities earn a spot on
Chenago’s “best of” list.
The Chenango Valley Home & Apartments
In 1896 a group of people with a vision and a purpose, planned a residence for elderly women in need of comfort and care. In 1898 the vision became a reality with a donation from Cyrus Martin of one thousand dollars and two building lots at the corner of
Canasawacta and Fair streets in Norwich. Other donations from individuals, church
groups, and community organizations secured the initial development.
For over one hundred years that vision has grown into Chenango County’s finest
adult home providing residential care for women AND men. In 1998 Chenango Valley
Home constructed an apartment complex to provide another level of secure independent
living. Today Chenango Valley Home & Apartments maintains 30 private rooms and 12
independent apartments in a friendly, caring and safe environment at an affordable cost.
Quality services are provided by a staff of thirty-five full and part time employees along
with twenty two volunteers. A dedicated board of twelve members from the community govern a budget of over $1.5 million dollars.
This grand establishment continues its mission through competent management and
continued benevolence of the community. Chenango Valley Home & Apartments
receives no public funds. Approximately forty percent of operational expenses are provided by prudent investment of donations received since our inception over a century
ago.
The Chenango Valley Home & Apartment Endowment Fund has been created to support the mission of the Home to recognize past and present donors for their valued support and to offer others the opportunity to help maintain the excellence of our service
and our facilities. A “Tree of Appreciation” has been created and is on display in the
main dining room to recognize the various levels of significant donations to our memorial fund. Donors are recognized by engraved leaves of different hues on the tree or by
“Rocks” of our foundation.
We sincerely thank all of our past supporters and look forward to serving our community friends and their families for many years to come.
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18
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
PUBLISHED
BY
THE EVENING SUN
Preferred leads the way in the
‘people helping’ business
BY SHAWN MAGRATH
Sun Staff Writer
[email protected]
NEW BERLIN – With
flexibility and an unmatched
commitment to meeting customers’ needs, Preferred
Mutual has shown for 120
years that it’s not just in the
insurance business. It’s in the
business of helping people.
Whether it’s being there in
the aftermath of a winter
storm, or providing peace of
mind for someone who’s had
a fender bender, Preferred
Mutual strives to put their
customers’ minds at ease – to
encourage them to live their
life, and to live assured.
In fact, that’s the vision
behind
the
company’s
tagline: “Live Assured.” The
New Berlin based provider of
property and casualty insurance made customer satisfaction a top priority when first
opening its doors 120 years
ago, and that same philosophy continues to steer business with the organization’s
235,000-plus policyholders
today.
Started as a fire insurance
company owned entirely by
its policyholders in 1896,
Preferred has broadened its
scope of services to offer a
variety of personal and business insurance products. Its
products now include protection for homeowners, renters
and mobile home owners.
Additionally, Preferred offers
personal, auto, snowmobile
and boat coverage, as well as
coverage for identity theft
and fraud.
Preferred Mutual also
offers commercial lines insurance for small and mid-sized
business owners, as well as
specialty products for contractors, religious institutions,
restaurants and hotels.
Chenango County residents
know Preferred Mutual as the
insurance company in their
own back yard. But the company’s footprint is much larger, encompassing regions in
New York, New Jersey,
Massachusetts and New
Hampshire. With a nearly 2
percent increase in policyholders last year, and plans of
growing direct written premiums by 6 percent in 2016,
Preferred aims to continue
the momentum that has made
it a respected name in the
insurance industry.
“I think that our employees’ commitment to serving
customer needs, as well as an
ability to provide unsurpassed customer service is
what sets our company
apart,” said Brian Lopata,
Preferred Mutual’s Senior
Vice President of Profit
Center
Operations
and
Customer Relations. “It’s all
about putting the customer at
the very core of everything
we do as an organization.”
That model of doing business has been an undeniable
Submitted Photo
Preferred Mutual employees clean up the Route 8 corridor as part of the volunteer "Adopt a Highway" initiative in 2015.
success for Preferred. The
organization finished 2015
with direct written premiums
topping $290 million, a 2.5
percent increase over the previous year. And its commitment to quality earned it an
“A” rating from AM Best, the
most highly recognized rating
agency in the property and
casualty insurance industry.
“We’re proud of that,” said
Lopata, noting that AM Best
based
its
ratings
on
Preferred’s ability to meet
ongoing insurance policy and
contract obligations. The
agency lauded Preferred
Mutual as a thriving company
with a “stable” outlook. The
rating considers Preferred’s
overall operating performance, well established regional market presence, advanced
technology, and solid risk
management.
Given
Preferred’s
acclaimed business style and
its steady future, the company
has to be ready for whatever
challenges come its way. As
of late, most of those challenges have been in the form
of heavy snow and flood,
according to Lopata.
Last winter, Preferred
Mutual paid out more than
$50 million in winter related
property
claims.
Policyholders made claims
on property damage caused
by seasonal events like ice
damming, freezing pipes, and
roof collapses caused by
heavy snow.
“Weather trends are probably the biggest challenge we
see. Over the last five years,
whether it’s tornados, hurriCONTINUED
ON
PAGE 3
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Success Story
Skillin’s Jewelers
It has been almost 95 years since Hal’s grandfather opened a small jewelry shop in
Norwich. He would have never imagined that Skillin’s Jewelers would be going strong
almost one century later.
Skillin’s is still a member of the Independent Jewelers Organization which is an independent national buyers group of successful jewelers from all over the country. Hal
attended an IJO show in Nashville last year where he continued his education at several seminars.
2 Stone Jewelry is the newest trend in jewelry; it was introduced at the end of the year.
Each piece has 2 stones of equal size and shape that represent the true love between two
people in a relationship. They have necklaces, rings and earrings available in Sterling
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gold. This is the hottest jewelry on the market and you can get it right here in Norwich.
In addition to 2 Stone Jewelry they still carry Pandora which is the most popular jewelry line. In 2015 Pandora greatly expanded their ring collection. The ring collection features fine silver and gold bands with intricate details and gemstone accents. There are
statement rings and a large number of stacking rings so you can create a look that’s just
right for you.
At Skillin’s Jewelers they specialize in custom design jewelry and have an excellent
repair department. There is no job too big or too small and they provide free estimates
and sketches. You can turn your unwanted and broken jewelry into a beautiful piece that
you can enjoy or restore a family heirloom.
Hal recently stepped down from the BID board after 25 years, but continues as a
member of Rotary. Skillin’s will be having some fun Facebook contests and special
events in 2016. They have updated their website and made it easier to navigate. They
look forward to another successful year in 2016 and will continue to value the trust their
customers have in them.
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PUBLISHED
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PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
THE EVENING SUN
19
A promise they’ll be there –
CONTINUED
FROM
PAGE 18
canes, or winter storms,
we’ve been seeing an increase
in severity relative to weather
patterns, and that can be hard
on an insurance company,”
Lopata said.
Although it’s a financial
burden to incur those types of
losses, Preferred has a proven
record of excelling in the area
of risk management; so the
company is well poised to
handle whatever Mother
Nature has in store.
“That’s why people buy
insurance. They want security,” Lopata added. “We sell a
promise that we’ll be there in
a time of need, so people
want to be sure that we have
strong risk management for
our organization.”
Preferred’s
business
accomplishments aside, the
company makes continuous
efforts to be a community
player. In 2015, Preferred
Mutual teamed up with the
Norwich Family YMCA to
offer free swim lessons to
first grade students from
three local schools. In the
same vein, Preferred employees partnered with local fire
departments for a program
that provided fire safety education to more than 1,000 elementary school students.
What’s more, employees collectively raised more than
$21,000 to help fund the
Chenango County United
Way’s annual campaign.
Of course, a company is
only as good as its people.
Forty new faces joined
Preferred’s team of insurance
professionals last year, along
with six new executives.
While a majority of those
aren’t new positions in the
company, Preferred does have
ambitions of expanding its
workforce by 50 by the end of
2016. Newly created positions will be fused into
departments across the enterprise, including customer
service, underwriting, technology, claims, and other
core functions.
When it comes to customer
service, Preferred’s strategic
five-year plan outlines a number of new initiatives to meet
the diversified needs of its
customers. With growing
demand for online services,
the company aims to invest
heavily in technology over
the next year to offer all its
products in the most convenient way possible. Preferred
is already utilizing more
social media to reach a broader customer base; and by
shifting more focus to online
portals and other mediums of
self-service, it’s balancing the
traditional needs of its customers with the convenience
of 21st century technology.
Said Lopata, “The expectations of customers are rapidly
changing. We’re trying to
respond to those expectations
and do business the way they
want to do business.”
“Personal insurance today
is a commodity that everybody is selling,” he added.
“The only way to differentiate is through the customer
experience and building confidence. We are all about letting people go out and live
their life, and letting them
know that we have their
insurance needs covered.”
Submitted Photo
A number of Preferred Mutual staffers take part in the 2015 Utica Heart Run and Walk.
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20
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
PUBLISHED
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THE EVENING SUN