Niagara USA Chamber | Niagara USA Chamber

Chamber Honors 2015: YAHOO! Business of the Year

Yahoo! Data Center Facilities Manager Paul Bonaro & Niagara USA President Deanna Alterio Brennen
2015 Business of the Year

Yahoo! helps you find what you’re looking for on any internet-connected device. Western New York has found a strong connection with this worldwide corporation as Yahoo invests in the Niagara region. For that reason and more, The Niagara USA Chamber is recognizing Yahoo as Business of the Year.

Yahoo was founded in 1994 by Stanford phD students David Filo and Jerry Yang. It is now headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and has offices located throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions.
Western New York has been a great home for Yahoo since 2009, and they are proud to be part of the Lockport community.

Yahoo employs over 200 people in the Lockport campus, which houses their Data Center, Customer Care Center of Excellence, the Global Operations Center, and the Global Service Desk. In October 2013, Yahoo invested over $170M to expand the Lockport facilities by 148-thousand square feet, which has created over 100 new jobs across engineering, technology, and customer care fields.

Paul Bonaro, Yahoo! Data Center Facilities Manager, accepts Business of the Year 2015 Award

The Lockport data center powers their services to ensure the most engaging, personalized online experience for all users. Additionally, the team at the Customer Care Center of Excellence is dedicated to providing support for their users- another critical aspect of providing the best experience.

The Niagara USA Chamber is recognizing Yahoo’s outstanding achievement as Business of the Year.

Other honorees include;
Aquarium of Niagara – Special Recognition
Seneca Niagara Gaming Corporation – National Grid Green Manufacturing Award
Molly Anderson – Father Joseph L. Levesque Award for Community Advocacy
Trek, Inc. – Industry Insider Award
Lockport Ice Rink & Sports Arena – Groundbreaking Award
Faisal Merani – Business Person of the Year

Chamber Honors 2015: Faisal Merani as Business Person of the Year

Niagara USA Chamber President & CEO Deanna Alterio Brennen & Faisal Merani, 2015 Business Person of the Year

You can find Faisal Merani in the headlines with words like redevelopment and hope. He was born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario. He attended local schools his entire life while learning the family business in the hotel indsutry. The Niagara USA Chamber is recognizing his lifelong dedication.

Merani made his first mark on the area when Merani Hotel Group acquired the Days Inn & Suites at the top of Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Then in 2005, the Holiday Inn Niagara Falls gave park visitors on the American side a family-friendly hotel in the heart of the city. In 2007, the Sterling Inn & Spa welcomed its first guests, marking the beginning of a new chapter for a renovated local landmark in Ontario. Four years later, the Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls, NY opened. With a vision for the future of Niagara Falls, Faisal has expanded Merani Hotel Group while never losing sight of the prosperity and growth of the region as a whole.

The Holiday Inn Niagara Falls is currently undergoing a series of renovations including a Tony Roma’s franchise restaurant as well as a two-story arcade. The Doubletree by Hilton in downtown Niagara Falls, NY is set to open Spring of 2016. This project promises more than 50 new positions to be filled by neighbors and friends living in the Niagara region.

Faisal Merani accepts honor of 2015 Business Person of the Year

The Niagara USA Chamber is recognizing Faisal Merani’s leadership and dedication as the Business Person of the Year.

Other honorees include;
Aquarium of Niagara – Special Recognition
Seneca Niagara Gaming Corporation – National Grid Green Manufacturing Award
Molly Anderson – Father Joseph L. Levesque Award for Community Advocacy
Trek, Inc. – Industry Insider Award
Lockport Ice Rink & Sports Arena – Groundbreaking Award
Yahoo! – Business of the Year

Chamber Honors 2015: Lockport Ice Rink & Sports Arena with Groundbreaking Award

John Ottaviano accepts 2015 Groundbreaking Award for Lockport Ice Rink & Sports Arena

What was once an empty grocery store and eyesore is now a state of the art ice arena and sports training facility. What was once a dangerous hangout for children is now a place where children can build character and to learn good sportsmanship. It took 10 years of planning and dedicated community volunteers to make the Lockport Ice Arena and Sports Center a reality.

Some of the dedicated community advocates behind Lockport Ice Rink & Sports Arena

Now named the Cornerstone CFCU Arena, this 93,500 square foot facility offers the region a high quality hockey, skating, and training experience. It has two NHL-size rinks, seating for approximately 630 and a community room. It operates by the mission of the nonprofit that founded it with programs that also combat juvenile delinquency, promote social welfare, physical fitness and more.

The arena is expected to attract over 150,000 individuals and create a demand for over 4,500 hotel rooms annually, leading to new businesses and new jobs. It will also be a venue for job training as the concessions area will be run by the YWCA Catering Crew, a social enterprise dedicated to helping women become economically self-sufficient.

The Niagara USA Chamber recognizes the dedication it took for the Lockport Ice Rink and Sports Arena with the 2015 Groundbreaking Award.
Other honorees include;
Aquarium of Niagara – Special Recognition
Seneca Niagara Gaming Corporation – National Grid Green Manufacturing Award
Molly Anderson – Father Joseph L. Levesque Award for Community Advocacy
Trek, Inc. – Industry Insider Award
Faisal Merani – Business Person of the Year
Yahoo! – Business of the Year

Chamber Honors 2015: Trek, Inc. with Industry Insider Award

Vice President Trek, Inc. Louise Cadwalader accepts 2015 Industry Insider Award

Trek, Inc. is truly a power player. They are experts in electrostatic and high-voltage power amplification. Founded in 1968, Trek has focused on developing technology and designing products that help industry and research to be successful. Some of their business relationships go back 20 years or more, proving industry excellence.

The next time you make a photocopy or use a cellphone, think of Trek. Trek’s first products were specially designed electrostatic voltmeters that helped manufacturers of high-end photocopiers meet customers’ demands. Trek also developed and commercialized technically sophisticated high-voltage power amplifiers that became the preferred solution to manage precise processing methods in semiconductor manufacturing. Semiconductors end up in products such as laptops, cell phones, tablets and other electronic and mobile devices. Trek also provides high performance products and solutions to the global R&D community.

As a result of Trek’s worldwide success, the company moved its headquarters and manufacturing operations to the refurbished Harrison site in Lockport in late 2013 with the support and assistance of the City of Lockport, Niagara County and New York State. Trek’s employment has increased from 93 before the relocation to 120.

Trek, Inc. Vice President Louise Cadwalader & Niagara USA Chamber President & CEO Deanna Alterio Brennen

For all of this and more, Niagara USA Chamber recognized Trek with the Industry Insider Award at the Chamber Honors Gala at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel Event Center. Other honorees include;
Aquarium of Niagara – Special Recognition
Seneca Niagara Gaming Corporation – National Grid Green Manufacturing Award
Molly Anderson – Father Joseph L. Levesque Award for Community Advocacy
Lockport Ice Rink & Sports Center, Inc. – Groundbreaking Award
Faisal Merani – Business Person of the Year
Yahoo! – Business of the Year

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