Each year, WEDCO recognizes a business that enriches Wayne County’s character and uniqueness. Below are past Innovator of the year award recipients.

2011 - Burkavage Design Associates - EverGreen Elementary School 

2010 - Sculpted Ice Works

2009 - Stone Silo Food

2008 - The Grainless Bakery

2007 - Calkins Creamery

2006 - South Canaan Telephone

2005 - Foxledge

2004 - New Wave Custom Woodworking

2003 - Boyce Products Ltd.

Nomination Process  (Next round - September 2011)

Click on the links below to download nomination forms and guidelines. The forms are not lengthy, and should take an hour or less to complete.  The recipient will be honored at WEDCO’s Sustaining Member luncheon in November at The Settlers Inn, Hawley.

The scope of the award includes, but is not limited to, the application of new equipment or technology. Equal consideration is given to creative approaches in customer service, human resource issues / personnel relations, management, marketing, or production processes.

2010 Innovator of the Year Guidelines - PDF (55 kb)
2010 Nomination Form Page 1 - PDF (31 kb)
2010 Nomination Form Page 2 - PDF (15 kb)

2011 Innovator of the Year - Burkavage Design Associates/EverGreen Elementary

       WEDCO Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Burkavage Design Associates of Clarks Summit, PA, has been selected as the organization’s 2011 Innovator of the Year. Mr. Lou Shapiro accepted the award on behalf of Burkavage Design Associates at a special luncheon on November 15.

Mr. Tom Gallagher, Senior Real Estate Manager, Home Depot, was the guest speaker for the luncheon. Addressing an audience of WEDCO members, government and regional economic development leaders, Mr. Gallagher related how the home improvement retailer was enhancing customer service to position the company for growth.

       Burkavage Design Associates was honored for the EverGreen Elementary School project. 

Buckavage Design Associates served as project architects for the 105,000 SF building, which has a student capacity of 900. The firm has been in existence since 1948 and has completed $2.5 billion in projects throughout the northeast region and beyond, including the ER expansion at Wayne Memorial Hospital.

          WEDCO also recognized Western Wayne School District for their role in the project; Ellen Faliskie, principal of EverGreen Elementary School. accepted the award for the school district.

Mr. Shapiro, speaking on behalf of the architectural team of Don Flynn and Todd Wescott, complimented Western Wayne School Board on their decision to incorporate innovative sustainable technologies in the design plan for the school.

“Western Wayne School District dared to build a futuristic school and in doing so has distinguished itself and the community it serves as leaders in the sustainable design effort”, said Mr. Shapiro “The building will serve as a daily example to its students and all who pass through its doors of the advantage and value of sustainable living.”

“Typically, you would expect to see this type of school in a more urban area. From the very start, the School Board agreed to incorporating ‘green’ technologies and the result is one of the best school you could find anywhere, let alone a rural area.”

       The elementary school project is pursuing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification. The building features a number of sustainable technologies and is a living learning environment for the students. Technologies include:

·      Geothermal heating system;

·      Energy recovery capabilities built into HVAC systems;

·      Solar photovoltaic panels on the roof;

·      On-site wastewater treatment in Pennsylvania’s first “Living Machine” system which utilizes plants and microorganisms to process wastewater into clean water;

·      Rooftop garden (“green roof”) that retains up to 80% of the rainwater in its soils and provides additional roof insulation while also serving as a learning environment;

·      Daylight harvesting through the use of interior light shelves;

·      Photoelectric and occupancy sensors to better control lighting and minimize electrical consumption;

·      Design elements and recycled building materials that are energy efficient and safe.

     WEDCO established the Innovator of the Year Award to recognize businesses that enrich Wayne County’s reputation for quality and creativity. The selection committee for 2011 was WEDCO Board members Tina Diehl, chair, Mary Ellen Bentler, Brian Chapman, and Kuni Holbert.

2010 Innovator of the Year - Sculpted Ice Works

Mark Crouthamel founded Sculpted Ice Works eleven years ago in Paupack Township as an extension of his culinary career. While working as a chef at both Ehrhardt’s Restaurant and Woodloch, he recognized that there was a demand for ice carvers within the region. It was an entrepreneurial desire, not latent artistic ability that drove him to the trade. His first attempts were unspectacular. Two years after his initial class, and vow to never try ice sculpting again, he took up the chainsaw and approached the trade as a craftsman. The more he sculpted, the more he learned about shapes and dimensions and how to approach one form from another. When he started the part-time business it was “just me, a chainsaw, and a marketing assistant”.

Fast forward eleven years and the one-man endeavor had grown into a business that employs 14 and produces 40 to 70 ice carvings a week. The carvings can be simple or sophisticated, ranging from corporate logos to an ice beverage bar or customized food display. Computerized graphics and CNC machinery are employed to create precise carvings in a short time period. 

The company also manufactures 12,000 blocks of clear ice annually, a high quality product that is coveted by sculptors. The blocks are made in 40 gallon cabinets, which look like big  coolers. The water is circulated to keep the ice clear and cooling plates at the bottom of the containers freeze the water over a three-day period. Sculpted Ice Works is the largest producer of block ice in the northeast and their market includes the metro areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

In 2007, Sculpted Ice Works expanded to its current location on Route 590 in Lakeville.  The property encompasses six buildings on 4.5 acres. The company utilizes 7,500 SF for production and is about to expand into another 4,000 SF.

The relocation has enabled Sculpted Ice Works to diversify and move into the tourism industry. Mid-winter, the company unveils Crystal Cabin Fever – a themed attraction featuring hundreds of square feet of ice structures, mazes, and slides. The event has attracted 8,000 visitors each of the last two years.

Future plans for the company include a Harvest Museum. Wayne County has more lakes than any other county in the Commonwealth and boasts a rich ice harvesting heritage.   Juxtaposing the old hand-held implements to modern, precision cutting equipment will tell the tale of innovation and entrepreneurship. 

For blending art, technology, entertainment, and history into a unique and growing business, Sculpted Ice Works is named the 2010 Innovator of the Year.

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 2009 Innovator of the Year – Stone Silo Foods


"Ours is an American story,” stated David Hazzard, co-founder of Stone Silo Foods. “We had an idea, worked hard, and were determined never to give up."

Stone Silo Foods was founded in 1994 by husband and wife team David and Laurie Hazzard with business partner Jim Struble. For a number of years, the Hazzards operated a restaurant in South Sterling well-known for its charming atmosphere and exceptional food. They now co-own and operate a successful food manufacturing company specializing in seafood products.  The story of how this came about resonates well in Wayne County.

In this part of the country, our winters are long, people stay close to home, and many of our industries, particularly hospitality, experience a decline in revenue. In the heart of their restaurant – the kitchen – the Hazzards worked with one of their original recipes to see if they could produce it in greater quantities. The hope and intent was to take the product to a larger market and thus earn additional revenue to offset the typical seasonal decline. Their first customer was Dutch’s Market; though the owner good-naturedly deemed the venture “crazy”, he agreed to take on the product. And the rest is … quite frankly, the history here is one of perseverance and hard work.

When Stone Silo needed to expand, Mr. Struble took on the fulltime position of manager and guided the business through the next 10 years. Stone Silo built a new facility, hired a sales team, and advanced into new markets. Through food shows and strong vendor relationships, they entered into the regional market to be carried by vendors such as Schiffs Food Service and D.W. Richards Sons.

Currently, the company employs eight in their 40,000 SF manufacturing facility in Gouldsboro. Stone Silo Foods produces four seafood products (crab spinach cake, stuffed clam, lobster and shrimp cake, mini-products) under their own label and private labels. They are distributed nationally through Sysco Corporation, U.S. Foodservice, DOT Foods, Harbor Seafood, as well as being marketed on QVC.com.

Mr. and Mrs. Hazzard and Mr. Sruble credit their success to providing good service, fulfilling orders when promised, and overcoming obstacles one step at a time. The American culture prizes entrepreneurship, considered both an art and a practice of creating new economic opportunities. For translating their culinary creativity into a viable enterprise, Stone Silo Foods has been named the 2009 Innovator of the Year.

Photo: (L-R) Art Fahey, Stone Silo Foods, Jim LaBar, WEDCO President, Dr. Daniel C. Flynn, The Commonwealth Medical College, Laurie Hazzard, Stone Silo Foods. 

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2008 Innovator of the Year – The Grainless Bakery, Inc.


Necessity is the mother of invention—the adage plays well in this story of a husband and wife, taking their 25 years of baking experience, and applying it to new ways to improve the health of their family.

The Grainless Baker, Inc. is a company devoted to manufacturing foods that are gluten-free, and thus able to be enjoyed by individuals with celiac disease. Those afflicted with this aliment cannot eat any food that contains wheat, rye or barley, grains that are typically in bakery products. Founded in 2004 by Dan and Jane Trygar, The Grainless Baker manufactures breads, pastries, cookies and other food products from their own gluten-free recipes.

The Grainless Baker is one of only a handful of food manufacturers in the United States making this type of product, and some of the foods made in their Wayne County facility are not produced anywhere else in the world.

 

Their non-traditional product requires non-traditional equipment, and The Grainless Baker employs a Canadian-based firm to modify equipment suitable for their production process.

Other partners are university researchers and hospitals where new food sources are being explored and refined that would be tolerated by those with celiac disease.

In 2008, The Grainless Baker constructed a 4,000 SF facility on J & J Road in Hamlin. The facility includes a small retail space for walk-in customers. Current employment is 16.

The Grainless Baker distributes its products to retail locations through New York, New Jersey and the New England area, and just recently began global distribution. The company has experienced significant sales growth since moving into the Hamlin facility, and expects that growth to continue. Mr. Trygar attributes this to an un-met market demand and his belief that celiac disease is under-diagnosed. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than 2 million people in the United States have celiac disease, or about 1 in 133 people.

Talking with Mr. Trygar, you soon realize that you are worlds away from simply baking a loaf of bread—chemistry, research, new foods, modified equipment, affiliations with hospitals and health organizations are all part of his challenging work. The Grainless Baker evolved from the desire to improve one family’s life, and has been selected the 2008 Innovator of the Year because the business improves the health and quality of life of countless others..

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2007 Innovator of the Year - Calkins Creamery

Calkins Creamery blends technology and innovation with the daily rigor of operating a dairy farm.

Emily Bryant Montgomery knows what it is like to grow up on a dairy farm. She and her siblings are the fifth generation raised on Highland Farms, a 240-acre dairy farm established by the Bryant family in 1841 near the eastern edge of Wayne County, PA. Emily left her home to attend Penn State University, obtained a degree in food science, and eventually settled with her husband Jay in California. Both gained knowledge in food processing – Emily took a course in cheese-making at Cal Poly University and Jay worked with an ice cream manufacturing company. Love of family and country living, and the desire to have their children experience the life Emily knew as a child, brought the Montgomery’s back to Wayne County. Their efforts to create a value-added product to improve the farm’s sustainability, while also adding to tourism within the County, has led to Calkins Creamery’s selection as Innovator of the Year.
 

Calkins Creamery was constructed in 2006 by Emily and Jay Montgomery and the Bryant family. The creamery offers farmstead artisan cheeses in over 10 varieties. All cheeses are produced from raw milk that comes from the Bryant’s herd of 80 registered Holsteins.

Milk from the herd is transferred directly from the milking barn to the cheese vat through underground stainless steel piping. This unique system is efficient, cost effective and allows the milk to remain free of contaminants.

Once in the cheese vat, the milk is transformed into curds and whey using time, temperature, agitation, culture and rennet. After the curds and whey separate, the whey is pumped into an outdoor holding tank and is eventually fed to the livestock. The remaining curds are scooped into molds and are pressed for varying amounts of time depending on the recipe. After drying and brining, the cheeses are transferred into the aging room where they will remain for a minimum of 60 days.

The cheese is sold at local inns, gourmet shops, and farmers markets, as well as at Highland Farms. Retailing the cheese at the farm has created an added bonus – tourism. The creamery’s proximity to a winery, and its bucolic setting within the beautiful Delaware Highlands, has created a new destination for our urban neighbors.

As Highland Farms welcomes its seventh generation, innovation, the use of technology, and an entrepreneurial spirit provide a firm foundation for the success of future generations.

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2006 Innovator of the Year - South Canaan Telephone

Transformation- this single word may best describe our 2006 Innovator of the Year. For a technology-based company to survive for over 100 years, it must have the ability to transform itself in order to remain competitive and provide the best possible services to its customers.

South Canaan Telephone was selected by WEDCO as the 2006 Innovator of the year because of its progressive management and continued technology investment. Customers of the small, independent telephone company have access to an array of telecommunication services which enables them to have a significant advantage over many other rural communities. At a time when telecom technology is at its most critical, South Canaan Telephone has not only competed, it has thrived

South Canaan Telephone Company incorporated in September 1906 and recently celebrated its 100th Anniversary. The company employs 10 and is headquartered in South Canaan Township along Rt. 296. Its service area covers approximately 75 square miles and is located on the western side of Wayne County. Maintaining this relatively small footprint has its advantages. Rival companies are not as attracted to the area, and South Canaan Telephone can focus on providing enhanced services to its 3000 customers.

Much of the company’s success is attributed to its philosophy of “looking ahead”. The early days of setting poles utilizing purely physical manpower, and transmitting messages over “open wires”, has been replaced by high-speed digital technology. The company must constantly transform itself and its services, and continue to pursue the latest technology in order to be among the leaders in service providers.

South Canaan Telephone has made a significant investment in fiber, and offers broadband access throughout its service area. The company can reach nearly 99% of its customers with DSL service within 48 hours, something that many large providers cannot do. Customers also have access to internet services and digital television service.

Handling the technical aspects of the company is what company president Ron Reeder describes as a “proud group of employees”. Employees constantly upgrade their skills through on-the-job and in-house training programs.

Whether it is evaluating new technology, such as HD TV, or developing a new marketing campaign or network strategy, South Canaan Telephone continues to look towards the future. Staying ahead of the curve has enabled the company to enjoy success throughout its first 100 years, and to position itself well for its next century of service.

Shown above: South Canaan Telephone Company President Ron Reeder is presented with the 2006 Innovator of the Year Award by WEDCO President Alfred J. Howell.

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2005 Innovator of the Year – Fox Ledge, Inc.

Since beginning operations in 1994, the company has grown to a workforce of 70 that bottles spring and distilled water under many private labels for delivery from Maine to Washington, D.C.

Technology, innovation, creativity all have a place in the story of this thriving bottled water company, and have led to Fox Ledge’s selection as Innovator of the Year. Fox Ledge captures water that bubbles up from a clear, natural spring tucked in the hills of northern Wayne County, filters and purifies it, and then bottles it for consumers in an expanding northeast market.
 

Since beginning operations in 1994, the company has grown to a workforce of 70 that bottles both spring and distilled water under many private labels for delivery from Maine to Washington, D.C.

Technology has helped reduce some of the intensive labor that was done when Fox Ledge first began—when they bottled water by hand. The process is automated today, with long conveyors bringing bottles to and from a whirling carousel that issues the clear liquid from stainless steel valves. Technology is also used to reduce cost and preserve the integrity of the product. Blow molders transform pellets of resin into the pale gallon jugs so prominent on grocers’ shelves. By performing this process in-house, the company reduces the cost and damage that occurs with shipping empty containers.

High technology ensures that the water is safe for consumers. Water flows through a series of filters to remove particulates and purity is maintained through the use of ultra-violet light. Finally the water goes through an ozone chamber, which essentially purifies the water in the same manner as chlorine, without the residual taste or odor.

Fox Ledge water quality must meet standards that are set internally as well as externally. Testing is performed on a daily basis by Fox Ledge and a separate private enterprise. Fox Ledge also maintains an in-house quality control laboratory, where testing extends beyond water to include bottles, caps and labels.

C.E.O. Alfred A. Alessi, Jr. attributes the success of Fox Ledge to its quality of water and business strategy, which he says is straightforward and direct. “If we say we can deliver a product, we do. We will also tell a potential customer if we cannot.”

Today, Fox Ledge water is transported to dairies, local distributors, large food warehouses, and local establishments.

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2004 Innovator of the Year – New Wave Custom Woodworking, Inc.

“We have gradually used machines to do jobs that were formerly done by hand, yet have not changed the hand-made quality of the frames we produce.” – Rudy Schemitz, President


Like so many other furniture manufacturers in the country,
New Wave has felt the sting of foreign competition. Modern tooling has moved away from the handmade, individual piece paradigm towards one of high volume mass production. New Wave’s desire to produce high-quality products while improving production processes to meet customer demand, has led to innovation in tools and techniques, and has earned them this year’s award.
 

New Wave is a furniture frame manufacturer that provides wooden frames for the upholstery business. Located in Honesdale, the company has been shipping a value-added product from Wayne County for more than 13 years, utilizing the talents of the local workforce. Their hallmark is to provide pieces of exceptional quality, in quantities of one to 1000, with consistency, reasonable delivery time, and excellent customer service. Using pattern following tools, the company has devised jigs to make legs and chair parts that formerly could only be made by hand. Through skills development and technology, New Wave has been able to provide repeatable production pieces to their principle customers using local hardwood species and exotic woods.

New Wave offers product proto-typing, new product development, and large production as well as individual custom orders. Their frames can be reupholstered after years of service and still retain their value and integrity. It is also not uncommon for the company to receive a request to reproduce a frame that was originally produced by them years ago. Although most of their work leaves the county, some has been done for local businesses. Furniture frames made by New Wave appear regularly in trade magazines such as Interior Design and Architectural Digest, on television on Guiding Light, As the World Turns and Oprah, and in fine homes, hotels and businesses throughout the world. With a workforce of 32, New Wave characterizes themselves as a small business with a big impact.

Through innovation, New Wave is meeting the challenge of the contemporary market—to provide a quality product at a competitive price and to keep jobs in America.

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2003 Innovator of the Year – Boyce Products, Ltd.


David Boyce, founder of Boyce Products Ltd., has directed the growth of his company from a small millwork business operating out of a garage to a national company with renown clients such as CNN, National Geographic, American Museum of Natural History, and Paramount Pictures.

Top  Right: CNN NewsNight with Aaron Brown
Designs by PDG A Jack Morton Company

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Since beginning operations in 1994, the company has grown to a workforce of 70 that bottles spring and distilled water under many private labels for delivery from Maine to Washington, D.C.

Technology, innovation, creativity all have a place in the story of this thriving bottled water company, and have led to Fox Ledge’s selection as Innovator of the Year. Fox Ledge captures water that bubbles up from a clear, natural spring tucked in the hills of northern Wayne County, filters and purifies it, and then bottles it for consumers in an expanding northeast market.

Since beginning operations in 1994, the company has grown to a workforce of 70 that bottles both spring and distilled water under many private labels for delivery from Maine to Washington, D.C.

We could title this salute “local man does well”, because indeed, it is so. From the pastoral hills of northern Wayne County came a man with an inventive mind and a vision to create some of the most innovative furniture in use today. David Boyce, founder of Boyce Products Ltd., has directed the growth of his company from a small millwork business operating out of a garage to a national company with renown clients such as CNN, National Geographic, American Museum of Natural History, and Paramount Pictures.

Boyce Products manufactures custom contract furniture. The company’s ability to identify a need, and provide a solution by integrating the functional aspects of furniture with technological advancements, has resulted in several patents, including BoyceWal™ System (a movable wall system which combines custom glass with solid hardwood), Trino™ table (a table system made of a single repeated component capable of creating a table of many sizes and shapes), and Tablevue™ (a pop-up system for monitors and power systems).

Boyce Products recently opened a full-service showroom and designer gallery in the New York Design Center located in Manhattan. The new office has become their national sales hub and is the natural extension of the local manufacturing operations. Most of the company’s sales are generated from designers and repeat clients which results in high profile national clients such as AOL, National Geographic, American Museum of Natural History, Paramount Pictures, as well as many corporate executive offices and board rooms.

A prime example of Boyce workmanship is the interior of the CNN American Morning show at Rockefeller Center in New York. The project required building very special desks, tables and fixtures with a rotating stage that incorporated computer controlled walls that moved around the stage.

Boyce Products currently employs 25 people in their 20,000 square foot manufacturing facility. According to David Boyce, the biggest asset at “Boyce” is the team of employees creating their unique and innovative products. The company plans to maintain a personal and local presence doing residential work through DB Cabinets, a division of Boyce Products Ltd.

The beauty of Boyce Products is often reserved for their clients. However, the next time you are taking in the morning news on CNN, take a look at the surroundings. Chances are what you see was created here, in Wayne County, Pennsylvania.

 Photo:  WEDCO presented their 2011 Innovator of the Year Awards to Burkavage Design Associates and Evergreen Elementary School. Shown left to right are: Todd Wescott, Burkavage Design, Ellen Faliskie, EverGreen Elenemtary School, Tom Gallagher, Home Depot, David Hoff, WEDCO President, Lou Shapiro, Burkavage Design, and Don Flynn, Burkavage Design.