The integration of Industry 4.0 artificial intelligence in small and medium manufacturing companies and the decarbonization of waste streams will be two topics covered in panel discussions at the Retool’26 Conference on June 9 at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron.

The conference, hosted by the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, is expected to attract more than 150 attendees.

The two breakout panel discussions are part of the larger day-long program that features keynote speakers from Viridi and Cummins and a panel of energy innovators from start-up companies located across the country. Sean Ewart, state deputy secretary of energy, will be the keynote lunchtime speaker.

The Industry 4.0 Panel includes Punit Shetty, principal consultant for the Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology; Dan Vrana, automation team leader for Buffalo Manufacturing Works; and Jason Horn, senior sales engineer for R.W. Earl Automation Solutions. Dominic Myers, president of ProperlyWorks and president of the Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance, will moderate the session.

This group will provide examples of implementations of robots and AI applications in businesses. The discussion will include some of the financial and productivity improvements that companies have experienced as a result of utilizing these tools.

The second panel, titled “The Business of Decarbonizing Our Waste,” will include Trevor Mance, business development director for Casella; Vaishali Maheshkar, owner of RecycleVision AI; Mark Walluk, technical program manager for RIT’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability, and Kevin Newton, technical program director for the Pollution Prevention Institute at RIT. Michael Riedlinger, managing director for technology commercialization at scale for ClimateTech and NextCorps, will be the moderator.

“This panel will highlight the great resources available to all businesses in the state to help them reduce the amount of waste in their facilities. Their expertise can help owners and managers move a step closer to reducing the costs of waste in their businesses,” Riedlinger said. “Not only does it help the planet, but it also helps their bottom line.”

Some of the panelists have worked closely on projects in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties and are familiar with challenges related to reducing waste and recycling materials.

Kristofor Sellstrom, Jamestown BPU general manager, said Retool’26 continues to focus on topics that are critical to regional manufacturers.

“We know that manufacturers are dealing with challenges related to operational efficiencies,” Sellstrom said. “The introduction of artificial intelligence and robotics into production lines has proven to be positive for the bottom line for a number of companies. We want to connect these panel experts with our regional business leaders as we work to retool our economy here in Chautauqua County and across the Southern Tier.”

Retool’26 conference organizer Ellen Ditonto, Jamestown BPU business development coordinator, said he is excited about the ability to showcase the work done by panelists in the area of decarbonization of waste.

“Casella has been a leader in finding ways to recycle paper, cardboard and glass,” Ditonto said. “Their company is devoted to reducing the amount of waste taken to landfills. The RecycleVision AI program is being tested to sort plastics for improved recycling. That is a critical need and could substantially reduce plastics that now are sent to landfills.”

Tickets for Retool’26 are available at: Retool26.eventbrite.com with discounted pricing for purchase of two or more tickets by one organization. For more information, contact Ditonto at 716-661-1686 or email businessdev@jamestownbpu.com.