Some of those attending or presenting at the recent Retool’24 conference hosted by the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities and regional organizations, are pictured during a tour of the New Flyer manufacturing plant in Jamestown.

Key members and supporters of Retool’24 visited the manufacturing sites of Artone LLC and New Flyer following the conference that was held recently at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel.

The tour group included professionals from the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Next Corps and Scale for ClimateTech.

The tours aimed to explore advancements and opportunities within the manufacturing sector, aligning with the goals of the Retool WNY initiative. Retool WNY, a collaboration of the Jamestown BPU and regional organizations, aims to raise awareness of economic opportunities for cleantech companies, promote climate technology-related business development and offer supply chain opportunities, supported by a multi-year NYSERDA grant.

The Retool’24 Group began their day with a comprehensive tour of the Artone manufacturing facility, known for its innovative furniture solutions, led by Sally Donisi, Artone LLC controller.

“For Artone and myself, providing the tour was not only a great opportunity to share who Artone is, but, most importantly, it was a great opportunity to provide new manufacturers with a comprehensive view of this type of business from all related angles. It is essential for the future of manufacturing to engage with those who are willing and eager to learn about the industry,” Donisi said.

Candice Delamarre is the co-founder and COO of Kit Switch and was part of the Jamestown tours. Kit Switch is a climate technology company based in San Francisco, Calif., and is in the Scale for ClimateTech (S4C) program. Kit Switch creates quick-to-install, affordable, low-carbon modular apartment interiors for building retrofits and ground-ups.

“At Kit Switch,” Delamarre said, “we believe making affordable housing should not compromise the local workforce. We certify local manufacturers as assembly locations. Tours like the one organized by NextCorps and the Jamestown BPU are crucial for our growth, allowing us to vet partners like Artone, known for their commitment to quality and sustainability. These are the types of partners we are looking for, and especially in areas where clean energy is a core strategy.”

The group also visited the Jamestown plant of New Flyer, a leader in the production of sustainable buses, both motor coach and metro models. The New Flyer plant in Jamestown, manufactures a variety of sustainable transit buses, including battery-electric, hybrid, compressed natural gas and clean diesel models.

The tour was led by Rhys Preston, Jamestown New Flyer plant general manager, and Carmine Fiore, New Flyer of America, Inc. regional sales manager.

Ellen Ditonto, BPU business development coordinator, emphasized the importance of such visits in fostering industry relationships and enhancing local economic development.

“Part of the success of our Retool WNY initiative is promoting the good work being done in the clean energy manufacturing sector in our region,” Ditonto said.

The visit concluded with discussions on future collaborations and next steps to leverage the insights gained from the tours.