2026 PROGRESS: 2026 Outlook

By Deborah James Sergeant

We’ve asked area business leaders for their input
on what they expect in their industries in 2026.

“At SUNY Oswego, our outlook for 2026 is rooted in thoughtful growth, modernization, and strong regional partnerships. We continue to invest in our campus infrastructure, with the anticipated start of renovations to Mahar Hall (to house our Social and Behavioral Sciences programs) further advancing our commitment to innovative teaching, learning, and student success. At the same time, we are launching and expanding initiatives to attract more students from our region, ensuring that local talent views SUNY Oswego as a first-choice destination. As chair of the Oswego County Micron Strategy Steering Committee and a member of both the CenterState CEO Board and the CNY Regional Economic Development Council, I remain focused on helping position our county and campus to play a meaningful role in the transformative economic opportunities emerging across Central New York.”

— Peter O. Nwoso, President SUNY Oswego, Oswego

“Overall, I expect positive business results for the 2026 year with a low level of revenue growth. The US economy and stock market are likely to have a solid year, but growth is likely to be muted by Washington, D.C. domestic and global disruptions and trade issues. Economic and market forces weigh on short-term business results for financial advisory firms.”

— Randy L. Zeigler, Certified financial planner and private wealth adviser with Ameriprise.

“I’m remaining positive. Even though some companies are leaving, others are coming back. I think with the national push for supporting small businesses and tax law revision and Micron coming in, all the signs are strong. It will be an exciting time for people living in this area. There have been a lot of people who moved away, but you wouldn’t believe the people who moved away and then call me saying they want to move back here. They miss the seasons and their family who still live here. As the interest rates come down, I foresee I will be very busy in the spring. When it’s cold out, not many people are out and about looking at and listing houses. I’d like to take some training on AI to see if it can assist me in any way to be a positive aspect of my business.”

— Noelle Beckwith Salmonsen, Licensed real estate salesperson, Freedom Real Estate, Hannibal

“With the interest rates stabilizing between 5.5 and 6%, we know that people who have been holding on will be motivated to sell and understand the new norm. We expect an increase in new sales and prices to stay steady where they are. We expect areas within a 90-mile area radius of Micron to do well in the housing market. It will be a seller’s market again. But there are grants available to first time home buyers that will help them achieve their goal of home ownership. They are New York State qualified programs to assist them. If you haven’t been a homeowner in the past three years, you qualify. It’s up to $15,000 towards the purchase price if you have at least $1,000 to contribute towards the downpayment. People should really talk with their lenders about these programs. All the banks will know about them. It can help more people get into a house.”

— Dana Decker, Principal broker, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services CNY Realty, Oswego

“I think it’s about managing customers’ expectations with the continuously rising costs of products and labor. Everybody who comes in wants the same experience they’re used to getting for the same prices they had been paying and those things are exploding on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Sometimes, you have to take a good, hard look at what you do and modify it into something that still works. You have to be willing to evolve. Customer expectations have to change.”

— Bill Wadswoth, Co-owner Bistro 197 and Nora’s, Oswego

“We are looking at a mixed picture. We do not expect much tailwind from consumer behavior or the general digital printing industry. That reflects the sentiment of our large OEM customers in the inkjet printing and graphics markets. A decline in paper demand is forecasted for 2026. However, in our so-called release liners business, for which we built the new coating operation in Pulaski two years ago, we are expecting to continue our double-digit growth path. That is primarily based on winning new customers, launching new products, and gaining market share.

The overall expectation is therefore a slightly growing business for Felix Schoeller in Pulaski.

What continues to make forecasting our business very difficult, however, are the ever-changing trade policies and tariffs. Besides the large financial burden for our customers and us, the ongoing volatility does not help companies to plan and execute strategies.”

— Michael Szidat, CEO Felix Schoeller North America, Pulaski

“It’s busy. Very, very busy. The travel business is really booming. The weather in Upstate New York makes people want to go away to someplace warmer for a vacation. Plus, in this post-COVID era, people have the thought process of, ‘We’re not waiting. You never know what can happen, so we’re going to take the trip.’ They’ve been putting it off long enough and don’t want to miss their chance. That effect has really increased our business threefold. During the wintertime, people get tired of winter here and they want to get away. They want something to plan for and look forward to instead of just more winter. Places that are really popular now are Europe, cruises and all-inclusive resorts.”

— Lynn Kistner, Travel agent Canalview Travel Service, Inc., Fulton

“The business outlook for Century 21 Galloway Realty is very positive in 2026. The real estate market is very active with limited inventory but increasing steadily. The residential market is going to remain strong, while the commercial market has been active with many companies looking to relocate to the Oswego market.”

— William Galloway, Broker and owner, Century 21 Galloway Realty, Oswego

“Universal Metal Works’ outlook on 2026 is very positive. We began working with several new customers across various industries in 2025. So far in Q1 of 2026, we have seen an increase in our backlog, customer base and new orders. Another positive for 2026 is that more young people are pursuing careers in the trades. We are optimistic that this will provide opportunities to continue growing our workforce with hardworking and skilled individuals. Couple all this with the construction beginning at Micron and the possibility of additional nuclear plants in Oswego County and we are excited about the future of our industry in Oswego County.”

— John F. Sharkey, IV, President Universal Metal Works, Fulton

“The nonprofit sector, particularly human services organizations, is especially challenged in 2026. In addition to the shifts in tax laws that will impact donor behavior, for timing as well as frequency, our sector faces seismic shifts in revenue streams. Federal and state funding, in both contracts and grants, has become uncertain and inconsistent. Long the stable foundation upon which organizations build programs that serve our neighbors, our communities will miss services, jobs and leadership that regular, stable and major funds provide for these nonprofits. All of my clients are recalculating their financial projections and are making strategic contingency plans. My calendar is full and my phone is ringing. I don’t have anywhere near the capacity to help all the organizations who ask. My expertise is in fundraising and board development. These are areas that organizations ask for in good years. Now, more than ever, strong and healthy boards are crucially important.”

— Elizabeth Fallon Quilter, Nonprofit strategist EF Quilter, Baldwinsville

“In 2026, the hearing healthcare industry is positioned for growth. Rising awareness of the connection between untreated hearing loss and cognitive health is motivating people to seek help earlier, and advances in smaller, smarter technology are reducing stigma and driving greater hearing aid adoption. As the number of hearing aid options expands, consumers are increasingly turning to audiologists for guidance, especially since device performance can vary widely based on each person’s unique hearing needs. Although over‑the‑counter devices generate interest as a less expensive option due to the hindrance of the rising costs of healthcare, they often lack personalized care and best‑practice support, increasing the demand for professional audiology services. As more studies on hearing aids and hearing function arise, audiologists are placing greater emphasis on how the brain processes sound using auditory retraining (retraining the ears and brain to listen differently) alongside modern technology, because even the most advanced hearing aids cannot guarantee optimal speech understanding on their own, despite the significant benefit they provide.”

— Nicole Anzalone, Audiologist and owner of Syracuse Hearing Solutions in Camillus and Fayetteville

“With the interest rates stabilizing between 5.5% and 6%, we know that people who have been holding on will be motivated to sell and understand the new norm. We expect an increase in new sales and prices to stay steady where they are. We expect areas within a 90-mile area radius of Micron to do well in the housing market. It will be a seller’s market again. But there are grants available to first time home buyers that will help them achieve their goal of home ownership. They are New York state qualified programs to assist them. If you haven’t been a homeowner in the past three years, you qualify. It’s up to $15,000 toward the purchase price if you have at least $1,000 to contribute towards the downpayment. People should really talk with their lenders about these programs. All the banks will know about them. It can help more people get into a house.”

— Dana Decker, Principal broker, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services CNY Realty, Oswego

“From my perspective, the outlook for community banks in 2026 is favorable. Our local economy is strong, and unemployment rates remain stable, but we will continue to deal with many of the same challenges in 2026 as we have in recent years, including an uncertain interest rate environment, quality of consumer credit, increased need for technology and managing competitive threats. In the past, community banks could benefit from stable, relationship-based deposits, but consumers are now much more aware of the interest rate environment given increased access to information. Online banks, nonbanks, and fintechs have been able to broadly market, and scale easier and faster with fewer regulatory restrictions. Asset quality is also top of mind for any financial institution, but community banks typically have an advantage with local area knowledge and relationship-based lending. This said, consumer credit stress is rising, particularly among lower income borrowers due to increased costs of necessities including housing, food, gas, clothing, etc. Like any business today, technology is a fixed cost of staying relevant, however AI is being used more defensively for community banks. Fraud detection, customer support, and compliance are all areas where AI has become embedded to meet or assist with basic safety and soundness implications. Given consumer access through technology as mentioned above, competitive threats from nonbank depositories and lenders are very real. As I mentioned previously, nonbanks can operate with lighter regulatory oversight and therefore can execute and encroach faster and easier. Overall, a winning strategy for community banks in 2026 will be to continue to deepen local relationships, limit exposure to credit risk, and partner more for technology in an effort to stay competitive and combat security risks on behalf of our customers.”

— Pamela D. Caraccioli, president & CEO Fulton Savings Bank, Fulton

“It’s positive we’re hoping, at least. We’ve got a lot of cars available. Interest rates are coming down and manufacturing is back. We’ve got plenty of inventory with our brand. We have had inventory struggles since COVID in the last few years for new cars but they’re finally all caught up. People are looking for both new and used cars. Used cars have come down in price too. There are more manufacturer incentives across the board for buying new. There are better deals for consumers and I think they’re going to come in and buy.”