Syracuse University’s Office of Community Engagement is working to provide financial connections to central New York residents through its Building Local initiative.

The program aims to utilize local vendors instead of outsourcing resources and services for campus prospects. SU is pursuing three areas: hiring, building and buying local. Central New York residents and businesses will be hired to work on university projects, with SU purchasing local products. 

SU wants to ensure its campus construction projects include businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities, said Bea González, SU’s vice president of community engagement.

“If we’re helping small businesses grow their businesses through participation in our projects, we’re helping the local regional economy.” González said. 

The Building Local initiative hosted its first annual Procurement Fair in May, which connected SU departments to approximately 200 local vendors, said Jean Gallipeau, a comptroller in the Division of Business, Finance and Administrative Services who attended the fair. Almost all of the schools and colleges at the university were represented as well as departments, such as Information Technology, Food and Auxiliary Services.

“When I left that night I felt so proud to be Orange,” Gallipeau said.

The fair exceeded the expectations of both the university departments and the vendors who attended, Gallipeau said.

One of the vendors involved in the initiative is Mattessich Iron, which was established in 2008 and focuses on metalwork in the building and construction industry. The company is a veteran-owned business. 

“I feel very appreciative towards the leadership at Syracuse University for stepping up and putting these requirements into place,” said Mike Mattessich, owner of Mattessich Iron. “It allows companies that wouldn’t have been regarded for some of these projects to be noticed and have the chance to prove their value to the construction industry.”  

SU generates about $1.1 billion of extra income to the city, according to the university’s 2017 economic impact report. The university also spends $513 million on payroll expenses — money that is eventually returned to the city in the form of food, lodging and leisure spending.

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Syracuse had a $3.2 million decrease in its business activities net position, according to city financial statements published in June 2018. The Building Local initiative hopes to boost the economy by increasing spending on local businesses, González said. 

“When we listen to the statistics about our city, I think it is our responsibility to do what we can to turn those statistics around,” González said. “For every dollar we spend in this community that generates four to seven more dollars in the local economy, just (the buying) part of our strategy.”

The money generated by incorporating more local businesses into SU will cause money to filter into the city and the surrounding areas, Gallipeau said. She hopes that this will cause more central New York residents to find employment opportunities at the university and cause more SU students to stay in the area after they graduate. 

“Our hope is that there is some potential for some of that graduating class to remain here, and as we work with these local vendors creating those opportunities it will spin that cycle,” Gallipeau said. 

The Building Local initiative is already beginning to plan the 2020 Procurement Fair, which they hope will draw an even larger crowd of vendors like Mattessich Ironworks, Gallipeau said. She said she hopes 400 vendors attend next year’s fair. 

The initiative has also begun to train various campus departments on diversifying spending and reducing barriers to provide more local vendors with opportunities.

“The proof is going to be in the pudding,” Gallipeau said. “We’ve got to make sure we deliver.” 

Published on September 24, 2019 at 10:38 pm

Contact Sydney: sabergan@syr.edu