News

By JOHN BARTIMOLE | Special to Olean Times Herald August 15, 2026 OLEAN — Olean Business Development Corporation announced the selection of nine businesses for the sixth cohort of its signature program, the Laine Business Accelerator, continuing the entrepreneurial legacy of Erick Laine, former CEO of Cutco Corporation. The 2026 cohort brings together nine businesses representing a diverse range of industries from across the region. Each participating business will receive $5

By JOHN BARTIMOLE | Special to Olean Times Herald July 22, 2026 “I regarded a home as a place I left behind in order to come back to it afterwards.” For many who have left the greater Olean area, only to return years later, Ernest Hemingway’s words ring true. “Since we began our Come Home, Stay Home series, I’ve been amazed at the stories we’ve come across about those who have moved away — for jobs, for education, or just to get away and explore someplace different — who hav

OLEAN — James E. Stitt, executive chairman of Cutco Corporation, is stepping down as chairman of the Olean Business Development Corp., an organization he helped to found as a chief architect of its strategic plan to reinvigorate small business in the greater Olean area. Stitt led a group of investors who bought the then-vacant Olean Business Institute building and spearheaded more than $1.5 million in renovations. He is succeeded as chair by Steve McClain, Cutco’s director of