HIA Honors Businesses - SuffolkJournal.com

Five Firms Win
Industry Awards
by Jane Lee Bock

June 1, 2002

At the Hauppauge Industrial Association's May luncheon, Suffolk County Executive Robert Gaffney eyed the winners of the HIA's Business Achievement and Spirit of America Awards carefully. He has a new plan for government you see, and he wanted to study their attributes. He wants to run the county more like a successful business than an institution. In order to do that, he has incorporated some business strategies into his governmental duties. Strategies like networking with Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi to bring Long Island issues to the forefront.

Manchester Technologies won the Business Achievement Award for a business with more than 100 employees, Sampson won the award for a company with less than 100 employees, and Quantum Medical Imaging won the Rookie of the Year award which is given to a firm in operation less than five years. In addition, Whitsons Food Service and Liberty Travel won the HIA's Spirit of America awards for their corporate responses to the events of September 11, 2002

Gaffney is proud of the way Suffolk businesses have prospered in spite of their many obstacles and he was happy to obtain three new success stories at the luncheon. He can them use in his pitches to state and federal officials for more attention to local needs.

"My goal is to run government like you run your businesses," he said in his keynote address. "To use processes like networking and to put aside [political] labels. Until we do that, we will not be as successful as the business community."

But Gaffney will have to really push things along if he is to be as successful as the winners of the HIA's 2002 Business Achievement Awards. Manchester Technologies, Sampson Automation, and Quantum Medical Imaging have raised the bar against which all success will be measured.

"Long Island is one huge incubator, not primed by dollars but by ideas, innovation and creativity," said Gaffney. "This kind of leadership must be used in government as well."

Manchester Technologies

Manchester Technologies is a single-source solutions provider specializing in hardware and software procurement, custom networking storage, enterprise and Internet solutions. It offers sales and service, design and implementation through a variety of providers and manufacturers.

Founded nearly 30 years ago from a single entrepreneurial vision, Manchester has grown into a regional organization with more than 350 employees and corporate headquarters in the Hauppauge Industrial Park. The company's managed, consistent, and profitable growth has positioned it as one of the leading independent providers of computer products and services in
the country. It now occupies three buildings in the Hauppauge Industrial Park totaling 120,000 square feet, and supports 355 local employees. A publicly traded firm, its revenues in 2001 were $280 million.

Sampson Automation Co., Inc.

Sampson is a 40 year-old, second generation, privately owned company currently located in Hauppauge. Its 1999 sales reached $15 million and 2002 forecasts exceed $17 million. In the past few years the company has doubled its workforce to 90 skilled employees who design and manufacturer automated machinery for the vinyl and aluminum window industry. Each of Sampson's machines is custom made, most one of a kind. Its attention to quality performance has made it the U.S. industry leader, out-performing many of its competitors.

Quantum Medical Imaging, LLC

Quantum Medical Imaging is a designer and manufacturer of advanced medical radiographic systems used in hospitals and clinics worldwide. Founded in 2000, and located in Ronkonkoma, Quantum has 40 employees Long Island. It is the first new radiographic systems manufacturer in the United States in more than 10 years and its products focus on both conventional imaging and the future of digital imaging technology.

Quantum was founded when the region's largest radiographic systems manufacturer moved off Long Island, leaving behind a pool of talent with years of industry experience. With some financial backing from industry distributors and a lot of personal sacrifice, some of those employees founded Quantum, relying on Long Island suppliers they already had substantial
relationships with.

"Here we had a company that moved away and failed, and a company who picked up where their employees and surpassed them," said Gaffney.

Also delivered at the luncheon were the HIA's Spirit of America Awards, given in recognition of corporate response to the events of September 11th. Liberty Moving and Storage and Whitsons Food Service were the winners of those awards.

Paul Whitcomb, vice president of Whitsons said it was not the company, but rather the employees who deserved the credit. Whitsons merely coordinated the effort, he said. They are the ones who donated so much of their time in the initial hours after the disaster to make and deliver food to the rescue workers. "Preparing this food meant so much more than meals ordinarily do. It said, we care, we are standing with you, working with you. We'll get through this."

Another Long Island company brought its resources to bear to help provide support and assistance as well. Liberty Moving and storage immediately mobilized its trucks, collected donated supplies at its warehouse, and became the unofficial ground zero delivery service from Suffolk County.

Liberty's first supply truck was delivered by Federico's son Anthony that day, the last by his son Michael. "Don't ever let people tell you New Yorkers don't care," said Federico."

Sponsoring the awards program were three more of Long Island's top industry leaders. Through their sponsorships, Margolin Winer & Evens, Rivkin Radler LLP, and State Bank of Long Island helped the HIA and its members honor these five firms.