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April 23, 2008

In Memoriam: Joseph L. Mancuso

NBIA sadly notes the passing of Joseph L. Mancuso, who founded the first business incubator in the U.S. — arguably in the world — in Batavia, N.Y., in 1959. Mancuso died April 22 at age 88.

"All of us, across the industry, are grateful to Joe for his contributions and founding of the nation's first incubator," says Dinah Adkins, NBIA president & CEO.

When Massey-Ferguson closed its Batavia plant in 1956, it left behind an 850,000-square-foot complex of multistory buildings and massive unemployment. The Mancuso family, which owned a number of businesses in the area, bought the campus and charged Joseph Mancuso with filling it. Unable to find a single tenant for the plant, Mancuso divided the building into individual spaces.

What made the tactic remarkable was Mancuso's idea to provide not only space to the businesses, but also business advice, shared office services and help in raising capital. Within five years, the entire complex, called the Batavia Industrial Center, was full.

Among the complex's first tenants was a chicken company. "We were out on the road a lot of the time, trying to interest investors and attract companies to the center," Mancuso once told the NBIA Review, "and in a joking way, because of all the chickens, we started calling it 'the incubator.'" Thus Mancuso not only started a new business development model, but also gave it its name: the business incubator.

Mancuso was a fatherly presence in the fledgling business incubation industry. He advised Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as it developed its RPI Incubator Center in 1980 and enjoyed sharing his personal experiences with incubation at NBIA conferences into the 1990s. His efforts earned him numerous honors, including being named the 1986 New York State Economic Developer of the Year, 1989-90 New York State Small Business Advocate of the Year, and receiving an NBIA Founders Award at the 12th International Conference on Business Incubation in 1998.

The Mancuso Business Development Group still operates the Batavia Industrial Center, headed by Thomas Mancuso, Joseph's son. BIC has graduated so many companies over the past five decades that it spurred the creation of the Batavia Industrial Park. The City of Batavia enjoys more than $25 million in assessed valuation of property utilized by BIC graduates.

Links to NBIA stories about Joseph L. Mancuso and the Batavia Industrial Center:

"Founders Keepers! Business Incubation's History Makers," NBIA Review, August 1998
"Which Came First, the Incubator or the Concept?" NBIA Review, February 2002
"Not Just for Profit," NBIA Review, February 2004

This bust of Joseph L. Mancuso stands at Anshan New and High-Tech Business Incubation Center in Anshan City, China. Mancuso met representatives of the incubator at NBIA's 13th International Conference on Business Incubation in Chicago in 1999. The representatives not only incorporated some of Mancuso's ideas into their program, but also had the bust made out of respect for the father of business incubation.

In the April NBIA Review:

	Paying up Business incubator sponsors can provide more than ongoing support for program operations. Many incubator managers have discovered that local businesses can provide funding or products that enhance programs and services for clients.
	Skunk works "Skunk works" — independent research and development operations of a large company or corporation — can be valuable incubator clients. They require fewer basic services while providing guidance for other, less experienced clients. They also bring prestige to an incubation program.
	Quick facts about San Antonio NBIA will travel to San Antonio for its 22nd International Conference on Business Incubation May 4-7. Here are some things you should know about our destination before your arrival.
	NBIA seeks Silent Auction donations Highlight your incubator's success stories and help a good cause — assemble a basket of products and services from your program's clients for NBIA's Silent Auction at the 22nd International Conference on Business Incubation.
	Board member Q&A: Keelin O'Leary NBIA board member Keelin O’Leary, manager of the Genesis Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, talks about Canadian incubation traits and trends, the future of the incubation industry, and what influences the way she manages her program.
	Listserv followup Getting incubator clients to pay up
	The worst mistake I ever made "We spent too much on security -- and some of it doesn't work!"
	Spotlight on practice Regional incubator reaches out to northern Colorado entrepreneurs … California organizations merge to increase services to entrepreneurs … Northeast Ohio incubators broadcast their economic impact numbers to state officials and the public