Carmen Luciano, a production worker, performs cleanroom assembly and packaging at PRI. Moreover, he says he does it “with a smile on his face”. A native of Schenectady, Carmen graduated from Schenectady High School in 2012 and worked at Camp Lovejoy in Altamont, New York and at a local Price Chopper before joining Pine Ridge. At Camp Lovejoy, the Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady’s Summer Day Camp, Carmen says he “did everything” and was “hands-on”. This same flexibility and willingness to roll up his sleeves served him well at Price Chopper, where he worked in the front end and stocked shelves overnight.

Today, Carmen can recite his PRI start date (April 16, 2012) by heart and still enjoys working there as his ten-year anniversary approaches. “I enjoy learning new stuff,” he explains, and is “willing to take on tasks that I’ve never done before.” When Carmen started at Pine Ridge, he worked in the warehouse. His responsibilities have changed since then, but he’s still willing to help wherever he can. “We all work great together”, he says of the PRI team.

When Carmen isn’t working, he enjoys spending time at Saratoga Racetrack for “the atmosphere” and to “see the people in their hats”, part of a tradition of elegant attire at the nation’s oldest thoroughbred racetrack. “I’m a person who likes to try and stay busy,” he adds, and his work ethic and flexibility are just some of the reasons why Pine Ridge Industries is fortunate to have Carmen Luciano.

Applications for FuzeHub’s 2021 Commercialization Competition are being accepted through 4:00PM on August 31. In order to apply to any of the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund grants, an eligible applicant uses the SurveyMonkey Apply platform (“SMA”), a cloud-based grant management system. One of the major advantages of SMA is the ability to save an incomplete application in draft mode, allowing the applicant to work on all of the data through the different sections up to submission. Another benefit of SMA is the awardee’s ability to see all their Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund grants together. This is true for both previous and current applications, whether they were awarded or not. If an organization is reapplying, they can easily find their previous application for reference if desired.

Uploads
For the 2021 Commercialization Competition, there are 3 separate tasks that require file uploads: the Confirmation of Business Status, the Commercialization Summary and the Product Prototype video task (same as the previous year). There are 2 best practices to keep in mind when uploading files:

1. After the file is uploaded, review how it looks on screen, making sure that all information in the file is visible. If the file has multiple pages, confirm that all pages are visible; also pay attention to whether a single page ends up broken into 2 or more partial pages, making it more difficult for the judges to follow the information being shared.

If the file does not appear correct on the screen, try resaving and uploading it again. If you cannot figure out why the file does not show correctly, reach out to FuzeHub for support.

2. For optimal file viewing, when uploading a video file for the prototype task, try to keep the file size under 1Gb. We encourage the use of YouTube video links if appropriate for this task.

Budget
The application budget is meant to be a summarized version of your project budget. Please only enter the budget items that you will be seeking to get reimbursement from FuzeHub for (up to $50,000), not necessarily the total cost of the project if it surpasses $50,000.

The budget form has a maximum of 10 lines – it is not possible to add lines to it. It is best practice to find a good balance between summarizing and including as much detail as possible. Take advantage of the “Additional Notes Section” to explain items in the budget that may not be clear, or roles of people getting paid through the fund.

Once the budget is marked as complete, make sure to go back into the task and check on the numbers. In the past, a glitch caused some budgets to be saved as zeroes. Please confirm that your budget is displayed properly.

Timing to Complete

We encourage applicants to look at all the tasks in SMA and familiarize themselves with the platform well ahead of the application deadline. Technical and internet connection issues can cause unforeseen delays, so please do not wait until the last minute to submit your application. Make sure you have plenty of time to review all tasks before submitting, paying close attention to how the uploaded files are presented on screen (see “Uploads” above). While completing the tasks in SMA is a fairly quick process, gathering all the materials for upload will certainly take multiple hours. Plan accordingly.

Collaborators
The main applicant can add collaborator(s) to the application at any time. Just click on the button that says “Add Collaborator” on the left-hand side of the main application screen. Collaborators can fill out forms, make a payment and upload files as needed. When the collaborator is added to the platform, they will receive an email confirmation. The collaborator must click on the link included in the email in order to have access to the application.

For more help while you are logged into SMA, check out the Step-by-Step Guide under the SMA menu “Pages”, “CC Resources” or contact us at fund@fuzehub.com.

The Commercialization Competition 2021 webpage has helpful resources, the competition timeline, and an informative short video explaining FuzeHub’s investment requirement, the Simple Agreement for Future Equity or more commonly referred to as a SAFE. For all of the latest Commercialization Competition 2021 information, visit https://fuzehub.com/commercialization-competition/. Before submitting an application, we recommend reviewing the guidelines to ensure you have the most up-to-date version.

Companies will compete to demonstrate the commercialization potential of their technology or product and can win up to $50,000. This competition is intended to help small and medium (SME) size manufacturing and technology companies further develop their prototype in an effort to pursue additional investment and customers as well as strengthen their “go-to-market” strategies, as they move from new product/production method to marketplace. Top applicants will be considered “finalists” and invited to “pitch” to a panel of judges at the Commercialization Competition, which will be held as part of the New York State Innovation Summit at Turning Stone Resort in Verona, New York on November 8-9, 2021.

The Commercialization Competition has awarded over $1 million in funding to twenty-one New York State early-stage companies since its inception in 2017. Learn more about our competition portfolio companies and their successes at Innovation Fund Success Stories.

“As New York’s manufacturers confronted uncertainty, adversity and disruption amid the pandemic, the NY MEP network stepped up in a big way. Each of the centers was tireless in its work to help manufacturers overcome challenges, pivot to new products, adopt new technologies and scale innovative ideas,” said NYSTAR Senior Vice President Matt Watson. “By deploying NYSTAR funding, providing direct assistance and helping companies navigate NYSTAR’s robust network of over 70 innovation assets, the NY MEP centers delivered a massive economic impact in 2020, measuring at nearly $1 billion and over 6,600 jobs.

“As our state’s recovery gains momentum, the NY MEP will remain focused on helping manufacturers address emerging challenges, accelerate growth and create jobs,” he added.

NYSTAR, Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation, oversees the NY MEP, which brings together 10 regional centers and one statewide center, FuzeHub. The NY MEP centers serve as go-to resources for local manufacturers to access support or assistance. Services available through the NY MEP include innovation, process and quality improvement, product development, scale-up, tech acceleration, cybersecurity assistance, research commercialization, sustainable manufacturing, technology-driven market intelligence, marketing, supply chain assistance and more.

In New York State, manufacturers employ 419,478 people, which represents a payroll of about $38 billion in manufacturing worker earnings. The industry produces an economic output of $84.4 billion.

Beyond FuzeHub, the statewide center, the regional NY MEP centers are:

• Advanced Institute for Manufacturing (AIM) in the Mohawk Valley
• Alliance for Manufacturing & Technology (AM&T) in the Southern Tier
• Center for Economic Growth (CEG) in the Capital Region
• CITEC in the North Country
• Insyte Consulting in Western New York
• ITAC in New York City
• Manufacturing and Technology Resource Consortium (MTRC) on Long Island
• Manufacturing & Technology Enterprise Center (MTEC) in the Mid-Hudson region
• NextCorps in the Finger Lakes region
• TDO in Central New York

The 11 NY MEP centers are among the over 70 NYSTAR-backed centers across the state that are actively working to generate technology-driven economic growth. This statewide network of innovation assets provides entrepreneurs, researchers and business leaders with access to the support, assistance and resources they need to solve challenges, develop and scale new technologies, start companies and grow existing businesses.

The economic impact information is based on data from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), the federal agency that administers the national MEP program. The data combines performance metrics from each of the 11 NY MEP centers.

About the New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership

The New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP) is a network of 11 organizations that provide growth and innovation services to small and mid-sized manufacturers in every corner of the state to help them create and retain jobs, increase profits, and save time and money. Supported through a combination of federal and state funding, the NY MEP is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership and overseen by Empire State Development’s Division of Science Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). In 2020, the NY MEP created or retained 6,637 manufacturing jobs and generated $994 million in company cost savings, new investments and increased or retained sales.

For more information on NY MEP, visit www.newyorkmep.org.

“It has always been my belief that if you can create an organization whose foundation is based on a strong sales team and high quality production (manufacturing  or construction) and surround them with  talented and dedicated support groups you are going to be a successful company,” he said.

Beyond the edge of the pool

ADG can trace its beginnings to the 1950s, when Herb Ellis took a summer job at company called Paddock Pools.  This evolved into a full-time career, and by the 1960s he was CEO of Paddock and would grow the company into one of the country’s largest commercial pool contractor specializing in equipment manufacturing and construction.

In the 1970s, Ellis formed ADG and shifted focus to the burgeoning waterpark industry, providing the full range of services from design to manufacture to installation, with a focus on innovation.

“We are not so much a products company as we are a solutions company,” Quay said. “One of our mottos is ‘Think beyond the edge of the pool,’ which is to say ‘sure, we can manufacture that wave system.  We can build that waterpark.  But first let’s talk about what you as an owner/operator are trying to accomplish.’ We ask more questions upfront than most suppliers do and then say ‘We can do that, but wouldn’t it be great if we could also do this….’”

While Herb Ellis was growing ADG, Quay was growing up in Colonie. He went to Hope College in Holland, Michigan, graduating with a degree in business and economics.  Holland was home to a General Electric appliance motor plant, and since Quay was very familiar with GE, he looked there for work.

“I called enough times where they finally said, ‘why don’t you come in and explain to us why you’ve left 27 voicemails on the HR manager’s desk!’” he recalled.

He was given a position in the plant’s Technical Marketing program, where it was “37 engineers and me,” he said.

His next step was Boston, where he ran a branch of the largest residential swimming pool component manufacturers in the country.  Within five years he had risen to vice president.

He returned to New York when Latham-based Pacific Industries, a competitor of his former employer, recruited him to help turn that business around.  He spent 11 years with the company ultimately as president and CEO of what would become Cookson Plastic Molding Inc., a $160 million company.

When Cookson was sold in 2002, Quay began his first stint at ADG. Herb Ellis had transitioned the business to his son, current CEO Ken Ellis, and asked Quay to help Ken evolve the business by focusing on the manufacturing side.

After a few years, Quay left ADG and pursued other interests—including operating his own business outside the pool industry—until 2008, when he returned to ADG in his current role.

Making waves

Today, ADG employs about 100 people, with seasonal fluctuations, and is going strong despite the pandemic which had a disproportionally negative impact on the hospitality and leisure industries.

“It is a very exciting time at ADG,” Quay said.  “We have had a lot of success and have great ambitions for both components of our business: equipment manufacturing and waterpark design/build.  The markets we serve have all had a challenging 18 months, but as always we learn and evolve during hard times. If fact ADG has recently come off some of the most exciting and innovative projects in our recent history.”

This included an indoor waterpark in the Catskills, which opened in 2019, a large outdoor waterpark in Tennessee—the only major waterpark to open in the U.S. during the pandemic—and the Cliffside Coaster in Lake Placid, the longest mountain coaster in North America at 1.4 miles.  The company—which made its entry into waterparks with innovative wave pool technology—now is in the process of building its first combination boogie boarding and surf training wave system for a park in Australia.

“All of that accomplished in challenging times,” Quay said,  “I think it is a testament to our people and our perseverance. At a time when some owners or developers were being told they couldn’t get their projects done on time or on budget…or at all.  In all those cases we were able to do both. That is who we are.”

In late June, ADG unveiled its newest product, EpicSurf, a 5’ deep surf wave meant to simulate real surfing on a body of water that fits into a ride the size of a tennis court. The first of its kind to be designed and manufactured by a company in the US.

Pieces in Place

Quay did not have a hands-on role in the design or engineering of EpicSurf, the waterparks or mountain coaster, but he was instrumental in helping to keep ADG on track and “making sure that all the people, resources and objectives are in place for us to continue on our mission.”

Where does he see ADG in five years?

“On the equipment side of our business, I see us playing a bigger role both domestically and internationally in the wave system business as we broaden our product line to include EpicSurf and other surf-related products,” he said.  “Our mountainside business will grow.  And we will always be a go-to company for design/build projects in the waterpark and resort markets.”

“STI is an excellent company and a great example of the small manufacturers Insyte assists every day.  Their success is driven by their commitment to learn and improve.  We love clients like that!” – Ben Rand, President of Insyte Consulting