About Us

Alternatives is a diverse organization that has successfully prospered over 30 years.  As the business division of Madison Cortland ARC we have the dual responsibility of training and employing adults with disabilities and also managing a profitable and customer focused enterprise.  With over 100,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space across 3 buildings, Alternatives,  has grown into one of the largest employers in the area. 

 The Arc of Cortland County was founded in 1966 and the Madison County ARC in 1968.  January 2001, the Madison County ARC and the Arc of Cortland County merged to become Madison Cortland ARC.  Both agencies were founded by a group of parents who were concerned about their children with developmental disabilities. Those parents fought for services for their children and others who were disabled. Today, the Madison Cortland ARC is a strong parent/family based organization. In fact, two-thirds of the members of the Board of Directors are relatives of a person with a developmental disability. They offer their unique experiences to ensure the best quality of service the ARC can provide. http://madisoncortlandarc.org

In 1972, Alternatives Industry was created to provide direct work opportunities for adults with disabilities and build a lasting business entity to support programs and services.  First starting in packaging and assembly services.  By 1979 we created a food processing operation specializing in butter and margarine packaging.  In 1982, LoJo Technology was created to serve the growing eletronics assembly and manufacturing market.  With state of the art wire harness equipment and manual soldering equipment, along with an expereinced workforce, LoJo has grown to be a leader in the region and a “go-to outsourcer” for electronics.  Since 1990, Alternatives has worked in partnership with Madison County to manage and operate the County Recycling Center.  This cooperation has provided County residents quality results at affordable costs.  In 2004 with the acquisition of a larger more efficient warehouse facility, we were able to offer warehousing services.  

In 2009, with the cooperation of Nelson Farms and Morrisville State College,  Alternatives Industry built a commercial bakery operation to serve small to medium customers.  Our dedicated Bakery chef and manager have helped home cooks and growing food operators increase output and distribution, while adhereing to highest quality food standards.  In 2011, our newest venture is the  Central New York E-waste collection center.   Building off of our experience at LOJO Technologies with electronics coupled with the new e-waste law in New York State, we took over the collection and recycling operations for Madison County for Electronic waste.  No electronics should go into a landfill and we provide a free service for the public to bring their unwanted electronic items to be recycled. 

We are conveniently located between Syracuse and Utica in the heart of Central New York right off the New York State Thruway.  Our location provides access to all major metropolitan markets in the northeast from Boston to New York and Philadelphia to Canada.  Less than a half days drive gets you to these areas and our cost of operations is significantly less than those metropolitan regions.

 
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