The local Agway store at 600 Main St. will continue its operations virtually unchanged by the national company's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Michael Uryniak, owner of the local store for the past 10 years, said the effect of the national company's problems will amount to "basically nothing" for his operation.
"Agway, Inc., has no financial control or responsibilities at this location," said Uryniak, who owns the business outright. "If the public has a perception there's a problem, I'll change the name."
Uryniak said his store buys only a tiny percentage of its inventory from the national company, and that that portion is easily replaced from other sources. "Up until a few years ago, we were buying our product from them," Uryniak said in a telephone interview yesterday.
"Now we buy from other places, and now we buy only grain. And I have grain sales reps in here all the time trying to sell me their product," he said.
"The national company's bankruptcy will have very, very little impact," he said. "The effect will range from non-existent to negligible."
"The latest information I have on their grain is that the Agway feed mills are being bought by someone else who will continue to operate them," he said.
"None of the inventory here comes from Agway except a couple thousand dollars worth of feed, and that's a negligible amount," he said. Some products are now made by different companies that still use the Agway name, he said.
"The store's doing very well," he said. That translates, he said, to "just under $1 million annually," and, he added, "this year in spite of the economy we've had a gain in volume in 11 of the 12 months."
"People think Agway is Agway, and that it's all connected and managed under one roof, but that's incorrect," he said.
Uryniak leases the building, formerly a car dealership, from the McMahon family. Uryniak worked for Agway for 19 years before buying the business, at a time when the national company was selling many of its stores to private individuals. He moved the store from its previous location off Cole Avenue by the former Boston & Maine railroad tracks.
Petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code from Agway, Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries were expected to be filed yesterday, Oct. 1, with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York in Utica, N.Y.
Agway, Inc., announced its plans in a press release Monday from Stephen H. Hoevfer, senior five president for public affairs for the Syracuse, N.Y., offices.
Subsidiaries included in the petition are Agway Feed and Nutrition, Agway Agronomy, Seedway, Feed Commodities International, Country Best Produce, CPG Nutrients, Agway CPG Technologies and Agway General Agency.
The company's energy businesses are not included in the Chapter 11 filing.
Agway, Inc. is an agricultural cooperative owned by 69,000 Northeast farmer-members, headquartered in DeWitt, N.Y.
Monday, the company reported a net loss of $98.2 million for the year ended June 30, which includes a net loss of $85.4 million directly related to the sale of discontinued operations, and not, said a spokesman, directly related to the company's ongoing business operations..
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NAHA Board Accepts Director's Resignation, Unlocks Tenants Association Office
By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners officially accepted the resignation of Executive Director Jennifer Hohn and restored access to the Tenants Association office.
The board held a special meeting Thursday to vote to accept Hohn's resignation and determined that there are currently no plans to replace her.
"We didn't make any final determinations in terms of the executive session so we will schedule another meeting at another time," Chairwoman Leigh Uqdah said after returning from more than an hour session. "Day-to-day operations will continue to be managed as normal by staff."
Per their bylaws, board member Marie Harpin will continue to handle finances, and Uqdah will manage contracts.
Hohn stepped down on Oct. 8 after 24 years leading the agency. Her resignation followed rising tension between her and the NAHA Tenants Association, culminating in the scheduling of a formal grievance hearing between both parties.
The boiling point was the locking of the association's office this summer. Tenants alleged the lockout was retaliation for posting a video on social media depicting improperly functioning door alarms. Hohn claimed the office was locked for tenant safety and to stop the spread of misinformation.
Tenants Association President Corey Fortin asked if Hohn's security access had been removed. Uqdah confirmed her credentials were revoked the day she resigned, meaning she can no longer monitor security cameras remotely.
Jennifer Barbeau, a former city councilor who was liaison to the Housing Authority, asked when the board met to discuss Hohn's severance package. Uqdah stated that Hohn did not have one.
The board also accepted the resignation of Commissioner Richard Lavigne, though they will vote officially on the matter at their next meeting.
The open portion of the meeting was brief, with nearly an hour and a half spent in executive session. Before entering executive session, the board opened the floor to tenants.
"The tenants requested an opportunity to talk to the board," said Uqdah. "It has been quite a while, but we have decided to honor that."
Fortin, who posted the original video to social media, was the first to speak. He was clear in his request: unlock the office door.
"Let's cut straight to the chase tonight. The former resigned Director Jennifer Hohn ordered the office locked," he alleged. "She is gone. The lockout is a direct violation, and the board has a duty to end that tonight."
He cited federal and state laws that mandate the tenants association be provided with office space, including computer and network access.
"We are here with a direct administrative demand. We demand that the board vote tonight to unlock the doors," he said. "Do not let a resigned director's illegal action remain the board's ongoing liability. Open our door tonight, and let us get back to work."
The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners officially accepted the resignation of Executive Director Jennifer Hohn and restored access to the Tenants Association office. click for more
That was the list of grievances that current and former tenants of the North Adams Housing Authority's high rise laid before the City Council on Tuesday.
click for more
City officials want to know if the attorney general will defend them if they refuse to abide by certain provisions in a federal grant for the Police Department. click for more
