Jon M. Williams

Retool’24, a one-day conference focused on clean energy sector opportunities for small and medium manufacturers, organized by the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, will take place at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron on June 11.

The conference, part of the BPU’s Retool WNY initiative, is aimed at helping regional manufacturers match their production capabilities with the critical needs of major companies in the clean energy sector.

This year’s conference theme is, “Connect. Collaborate. Create Clean Energy Opportunities.” It is focused specifically on opportunities for small and medium manufacturers to become part of the growing supply chain in the clean energy sector and to highlight entrepreneurs who have been early adopters to clean energy needs and have started businesses. The Retool event is meant to encourage business growth and development in climate and clean technologies in Western New York.

Partners for this year’s event are NextCorps and Scale for ClimateTech, two not-for-profit organizations located at the University of Rochester focused on scaling up manufacturing in New York state, specifically focused on commercializing clean technologies and solutions. NextCorps and Scale for ClimateTech are part of the national Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Scale for ClimateTech has a current cohort of 18 entrepreneurial organizations that is part of its accelerator program. Some of those entrepreneurs will attend Retool’24 to talk about their products and services and supply chain needs.

The conference will feature a number of keynote speakers and panelists, all part of the clean energy ecosystem. One featured speaker will be Jon M. Williams, CEO of Viridi, an advanced battery energy storage manufacturer in Buffalo. Viridi, located on Buffalo’s east side, has a recruitment and training program to help place residents that face numerous employment challenges. Viridi has scaled up from a small start-up company and is located in a 42-acre complex that opened in 1923 as a General Motors plant.

David L. Leathers, Jamestown BPU general manager, noted that the importance of the Retool WNY initiative is in connecting regional manufacturers with companies looking for new suppliers.

“Our regional manufacturers can benefit from opportunities available now to become part of the supply chain for the emerging clean energy sector,” Leathers said. “The Retool WNY initiative has been an important economic development tool for the BPU, in cooperation with a number of partners. We are looking forward to hosting another successful conference in June.”

Retool’24 is sponsored by the Jamestown BPU and a variety of regional businesses and organizations. Pre-registration is required for the conference. The registration site is: Retool24Event.eventbrite.com. More information is available by contacting Ellen Ditonto, Jamestown BPU business development coordinator, at 716-661-1686 or emailing businessdev@jamestownbpu.com.

“The Retool WNY initiative is focused on helping our regional manufacturers and businesses transform their production lines and find avenues to compete in the emerging clean energy sector,” Ditonto said. “This conference is a way to share success stories as well as an opportunity to match manufacturer needs with suppliers that can help. An extended vendor fair and networking event will help with matching opportunities for our custom manufacturers and companies looking for new suppliers,” she added.