On December 10, 2019, the Business Journal News Network presented Marc Stemerman of Chemung Supply Corporation, a Business Innovation Award for his company’s commitment to innovation within their snow plow parts manufacturing division, Evolution Edges.
The award was given as part of the Central New York Family Business Awards, recognizing individuals and families that commit to carrying on family business legacies through hard work, countless hours, and thoughtful planning. The theme of the event focused on the slogan, “Behind the success of every business, there is a family.” Chemung Supply Corporation has been a multi-generational family run business for 88 years, originally founded by siblings David and Fanny Snowiss, then later under the helm of Jerry and Myra Stemerman, and now their son Marc.
Chemung Supply has grown into one of the largest highway distribution companies in the Northeastern United States. In 2009, under the guidance of Marc Stemerman the manufacturing division Evolution Edges was formed to meet the needs of the highway plow business. Evolution Edges specializes in both innovation and customer service, and has grown from a modest 5,000 square foot facility, to 35,000 square feet, with two shifts and 32 employees. A commitment to innovation has always been a priority, and blades are manufactured utilizing the latest technology to ensure a modern, high performance operation that is used to produce winter wear products. Stemerman humbly accepted the Business Innovation award, sharing with the audience his sincere appreciation for the dedicated employees who work day-to-day to ensure quality-made products.
Since 1931, Chemung Supply has based its success on two guiding principles, and they are both focused on relationships. The first is relationships with employees. The family learned early on that aside from their actual customers, employees were one of their biggest assets. Although the family worked tirelessly, they became aware of the shortcomings they had, and hired around those. Stemerman stated, “Our employees are some of the most dedicated, hardworking, and smart representatives we have to carry out our philosophy of customer relationships.” The second principle is the customer relationship. Chemung Supply’s sales force has always been available to ensure that their customers receive the solutions they are seeking. “We remain focused on these relationships and face-to-face meetings to create a more personal relationship with the customer, instead of the traditional cold environment of emails and phone calls,” added Stemerman.
