By Stefan Yablonski
Upstate Printing, Inc. is officially a New York state certified WBE — Women’s Business Enterprise.
“It was quite a lengthy application. They look into it extensively to make sure you are indeed a women-owned business; because a lot of people try to get that status but they have men working their business or whatever,” explained co-owner Kim Vinciguerra.
Vinciguerra and Debi Rotondo are the co-owners of Upstate Printing on Syracuse’s West Onondaga Street.
They started the process to become certified as women-owned business in 2015.
“It took a while and then it goes into a two-month review before we get an answer,” Vinciguerra said. “We just recently, at the end of October, got the word that we are a New York state certified WBE.”
Vinciguerra said the printing company can now get contracts through the city and state. “A lot of companies are looking to use minority businesses — Black, Hispanic, women,” she added. “For some contracts you must use up to 30% of minority businesses. It’s really geared a lot toward construction, but manufacturing and printing as well. It could get you some grant money.”
“It is myself and Debi; we are the owners 50-50. My son is actually our succession plan. He is our production manager and our business office manager. He has been working here probably since he was 8 years old,” she said. “We have a couple more employees — we have 14 full-time and a part-time girl and then we have some other part-time people we call on when we have extra work.”
Vinciguerra is president and CEO; Rotondo the CFO.
Upstate Printing produces a wide variety of material.
“We do much more than just printing. We do booklets, we do brochures, T-shirts and pocket folders. We now do large format posters and banners, promotional items, catalogs — pretty much anything, anything that can be put on paper, we pretty much can do,” Vinciguerra said.
It also offers mailing services and marketing support.
The company was started in 1996 by Paul Vinciguerra, Kim’s husband, along with long-time friend and business partner, Jack Rotondo, Debi’s husband.
They were located in East Syracuse on Corporate Circle, before moving to the Franklin Square area near downtown Syracuse.
In 2014, when Upstate Printing took on some employees and customers from the now-defunct Scotsman Press, the company needed to expand. In 2015, Paul Vinciguerra purchased the former Lettergraphics site on West Onondaga Street.
Paul Vinciguerra died unexpectedly later in 2015. His share of the business transferred to Kim. Jack Rotondo gave Debi his shares.
They opened the new building in 2016.
