Dr. Don Levy of the Siena College Research institute analyzed the results of the Annual Survey of Upstate NY business leaders and what they mean for the Buffalo region.

1. Presenting Sponsor:
Supporting Sponsors: Alpine Films * Applied Sciences Group

3. Dr. Donald Levy
Director
Siena College Research Institute (SRI)

5. 48,454 Upshot Interviews
95
Upshot
Polls
Total Interviews
52,963
3 New York Statewide Siena Polls 5 Spectrum Congressional Polls

6. 103 Polls 27 States 62 House 6 Senate 2 Governors

7. Nate McMurray Chris Collins
CD 25
Siena Poll Margin Election Final
3 points 0.3 points
Siena Winner Election Winner
Collins Collins

8. SCRI conducted the twelfth annual Upstate New York Business Leader
Survey from October 2018 – January 2019.
SCRI mailed surveys to all private, for-profit businesses with yearly sales
approaching $2.5 million up to $200 million according to publicly
available records. The surveys could also be completed online.
The survey broke down the businesses into the following industry categories:
Service Engineering and
Construction
Manufacturing Wholesale and
Distribution
Retail Food and Beverage Financial
30% 17% 20% 9% 13% 5% 6%
SCRI interviewed 427 CEO’s of private, for profit companies in Buffalo
(116), the Capital Region (111), Rochester (124) and Syracuse (76)

9. Confidence in state’s ability to improve business climate
Creating a business climate where companies will succeed
90% Fair/Poor
88% Not very/at all Confident

10. 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Excellent/Good
Fair/Poor
Would you say the government of the State of New York is doing an excellent, good, fair or poor
job of creating a business climate in which companies like yours will succeed?
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Confident
Not Confident
How confident are you in the ability of the state government to improve the business climate for
businesses like yours here in New York over the next year?
Confidence:
Performance:

11. What would you like to see the Governor and Legislature of New York focus on?
61%
66%
59%
44%
53%
32%
Spending Cuts
Business Income
Tax Reform
Personal Income
Tax Reform
Ethics Reform
Infrastructure
Development
Estate
Tax Reform
36%
Sales
Tax Reform
28%
18%
Business
Development
Incentives
Energy
Infrastructure

12. For each New York State issue, indicate whether over the last year you think the state has been
on the right track, moved in the wrong direction or neither.
WRONG DIRECTION RIGHT TRACK
Infrastructure development
Energy Costs
Workers compensation
reform
Ethics reform
Regulatory
environment
State spending
27%
16%
15%
7%
9%
7%
45%
51%
44%
79%
66%
74%

13. Buffalo
45%
59%
42% 46%
50%
39%
58% 53%
4% 3% 0% 1%
Albany Buffalo Rochester Syracuse
3%
39%
59%
Positive No impact Negative

14. Confidence in federal government’s ability to improve business climate
Creating a business climate where companies will succeed
53% Excellent/Good
46% Very/Somewhat Confident

15. 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Confident
Not Confident
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Excellent/Good
Fair/Poor
Would you say the federal government is doing an excellent, good, fair or poor job of creating a
business climate in which companies like yours will succeed?
How confident are you in the ability of the federal government to improve the business climate
for businesses like yours here in New York over the next year?
Confidence:
Performance:

16. For each national issue, indicate whether over the last year you think the country has been on
the right track, moved in the wrong direction or neither.
WRONG DIRECTION RIGHT TRACK
The health of our economy
The taxes businesses pay
Our immigration system
The cost of health care
Safeguarding the environment
The federal budget deficit
58%
65%
33%
19%
35%
16%
26%
19%
53%
60%
35%
62%

17. 52%
41%
7%
Positive effect
No effect
Negative effect

18. Buffalo
30% 34% 35% 37%
65% 55%
61% 57%
4% 9% 4% 7%
Albany Buffalo Rochester Syracuse
9%
55%
34%
Positive No impact Negative

19. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
State Confident
Fed Confident
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
State: Ex/Good
Fed: Ex/Good
Would you say the federal/state government is doing an excellent, good, fair or poor job of
creating a business climate in which companies like yours will succeed?
How confident are you in the ability of the federal/state government to improve the business
climate for businesses like yours here in New York over the next year?
Confidence:
Performance:

20. How would you describe the current
business or economic conditions in New
York State as compared with six months
ago?
Looking forward from today through next
year, that is, the entire 2019 year, how
would you describe your expectations for
the economy in New York State?
Current Future
Thinking specifically about your industry,
how would you describe the current
business or economic conditions in New
York State compared with six months ago?
And looking forward from today through
the next year, how would you describe
your expectations for your industry here in
New York?
Current Industry Future Industry
Better Same Worse
Better Same Worse Better Same Worse
Better Same Worse

21. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
87.8
37.2
79.6
93.4
91.3
106.9
92.2
106.3
89.4
120.0
60.0
0.0
Financial
crisis
Obama
takes
office
Cuomo
takes
office
Affordable
Care Act
begins
Trump
takes
office
Buffalo
Billion
announced
94.8
80.6
87.6

22. KEY: Up from last year Down from last year
Market/demand growth 41%
22%
22%
3%
Cost reduction
Price increase
New technology

23. KEY: Up from last year Down from last year
44%
34%
21%
Revenue
Grow
Stay same
Decrease
31%
35%
32%
Profitability
Grow
Stay same
Decrease
53%
16%
31%
Fixed Assets
Yes
Not sure
No
43%
47%
9%
Workforce Size
Grow
Same
Decrease

24. Optimistic
Business leaders in the optimistic
group describe an economy in which
they see improved conditions and
expect better days ahead.
Treading Water
Business leaders in the middle group
tend to feel as though the economy is
stable but do not anticipate improving
conditions.
Pessimistic
Business leaders in the pessimistic
group feel as though conditions
have worsened recently and expect
further decline.
28% 46% 26%

25. Optimistic Treading Water Pessimistic
Revenue Profitability
Fixed Assets Workforce Size
Expect growth:
Optimistic
79%
Treading water
40%
Pessimistic
13%
Expect growth:
Optimistic
64%
Treading water
25%
Pessimistic
10%
Will purchase:
Optimistic
61%
Treading water
53%
Pessimistic
47%
Expect increase:
Optimistic
58%
Treading water
45%
Pessimistic
23%

26. How descriptive is each statement of your company and your workforce? Mean overall score
normalized on a scale of 0 to 100. 100 being completely descriptive in the sought after direction.
56
65
67
72
73
76
77
80
83
84
86
90
Because we look to minimize risk, we are slow to…
Individual departments have short and long term…
We are on top of how economic, social and…
The entire company knows and understands the…
Too often different departments seem to be…
We have a vision for our company that informs all…
Overall, we have a company where people love…
Everyone’s opinions and suggestions are solicited…
We constantly review our processes in an effort…
Our employees are actively encouraged and…
Our company operates as a team; collaboration…
We do a great job of listening to and responding…
We do a great job of listening to and responding to the
needs of our customers
Our company operates as a team; collaboration is part
of everything we do
Our employees are actively encouraged and supported
in their personal and professional growth
We constantly review our processes in an effort to
always be getting better
Everyone’s opinions are solicited and taken seriously. We
have a process for receiving and acting on feedback.
Overall, we have a company where people love coming
to work each day.
We have a vision for our company that informs all our
decisions
The entire company knows and understands the
company’s strategic plan.
Too often different departments seem to be headed in
completely different directions.**
We are on top of how economic, social and
technological change affects us.
Individual departments have short and long term goals
and a way to assess progress on those goals.
Because we look to minimize risk, we are slow to
innovate.**
**data reversed to determine score as the reverse of the statement is the sought after outcome.

27. Strengths Weaknesses
Responding to needs of customers
Operating as a team
Encouraging employee personal
and professional growth
Striving to get better
Level of innovation
Departmental goal setting and
assessment
Responding to societal and
market change

28. CEO’s unsatisfied with state gov; increasingly confident in feds;
Looking for State to listen to them; Feds to address budget
Get high grades for customer focus, teamwork, employee
support; low grades for innovation, goals, market conditions.
28% Optimistic; 26% Negative. Radically different expectations
for 2019. Overall, 31% expect profits up; 43% will hire.
Confidence up in Buffalo, 1.8 from last year. Below breakeven
and the Upstate average. Current up; Future unchanged.

29. Heather Briccetti
President/CEO, The Business
Council of New York
Stewart Haney
CEO
Wendel
Panelists:
Beth Sears
President
Workplace Communication Inc.
Art Wingerter
President
Univera Healthcare

30. Presenting Sponsor:
Supporting Sponsors: Alpine Films * Applied Sciences Group