This story is part of a series marking the 50th anniversary of SUNY Jamestown Community College's Cattaraugus County Campus in Olean and its impact on the region. Visit sunyjcc.edu/News to read additional articles.
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SUNY Jamestown Community College’s growth in Cattaraugus County and Olean in many ways mirrors that of CUTCO’s.
Jim Stitt, who would later become chief executive officer, was transferred to Olean by Aluminum Company of America in 1975 — a year before JCC opened the doors to its Cattaraugus County Campus on Homer Street. In 1982, he joined Erick Laine and three others in purchasing Alcas Corporation.
the Cattaraugus County Campus Manufacturing Technology Institute in 2015.
As Alcas, which was officially renamed CUTCO in 2009, grew under the leadership of Laine and Stitt, JCC’s enrollment in Olean reached all-time highs in the 1980s and 1990s, in part because of its strong partnerships with Alcas and many other community partners.
“We bought the company in 1982 and shortly thereafter we really started to get some growth,” said Jim Stitt, now CUTCO’s executive chairman. “We were going from a one-shift operation to a two- or three-shift operation, and we were needing more management, supervision, and we really wanted to do that by promoting from within.”
JCC helped CUTCO grow by training future supervisors, managers and other employees, many of whom earned associate degrees from the college.
Stitt, to this day, sees JCC as a "wonderful" asset to the community and for students starting college.
"I tell that to many young people when they come to me, and hopefully we just continue to get the word out that going to JCC is a very smart move for young people in our community, versus going to a four-year college and getting themselves a decent debt," Stitt said. "It's what more and more people ought to be looking to do."
It isn’t just CUTCO. JCC has funneled hundreds of nursing graduates to Olean General Hospital and other medical practices throughout the region. It has sent students wishing to continue their education to St. Bonaventure University, which has built strong transfer ties with JCC. And it has guided countless students to valuable careers in manufacturing, business, and health care throughout the region.
Stitt recalled that when JCC’s downtown location was in jeopardy in the late 1990s, executives from Dresser-Rand, Olean General Hospital, Alcas, Dexter Electronic Materials, Conap, and Olean Advanced Products pledged their support for the campus during a public meeting with Cattaraugus County legislators.
Laine, at the time, said: “In today’s world, knowledge ranks as the most important resource.”
Laine, Stitt, and CUTCO have backed those words by pouring resources and funding into the college for more than four decades.
"We know there's pressure on colleges and universities in general with the enrollments and those who are looking at colleges being meaningful and non-meaningful, but it is a very important thing to us in this community," Stitt said. "We love JCC, and we're so proud to be able to be a part of it."
Leaders at Olean General Hospital said its partnership with JCC is vital to strengthening the nursing workforce across Cattaraugus County.
Olean General Hospital has hired in the last five years.
Jenn Ruggles, Olean General’s chief nursing officer, shared that 85 percent of college graduate nurses the hospital has hired in the last five years are JCC alumni. OGH hired 28 college-educated nurses in 2025 — the most ever in one year — and 24 came from JCC.
"JCC’s Nursing program has been an important pipeline for preparing highly skilled, compassionate nurses who go on to serve our patients, families, and communities," Ruggles said. "The increase in number of graduates nurses has led OGH to have less reliance on agency nurses, which has an overall financial benefit to the hospital."
The partnership extends beyond clinical education, with some Olean General Hospital nurse managers serving as clinical adjunct instructors at JCC. This allows experienced nursing leaders to share their knowledge, expertise, and real-world perspective with the next generation of nurses.
"As JCC celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Cattaraugus County Campus, we recognize the lasting impact of its nursing program and its continued role in developing and retaining a strong, local healthcare workforce," said Bradley Chapman, president of Olean General Hospital. "We look forward to working together to service our community for many years to come."
JCC and St. Bonaventure have worked together to create the Plus program, which allows students to earn an associate degree at JCC and continue at SBU for a bachelor’s degree with at least a 50% tuition discount.
The institutions have a similar agreement for nursing students who start at JCC.
“For 50 years, JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus has expanded educational opportunity and strengthened the communities we are both privileged to serve,” said Jeff Gingerich, St. Bonaventure president. “St. Bonaventure has seen that impact firsthand through partnerships that have created pathways for students to continue their education, built a thriving dual-degree nursing program, brought our faculty and students together in areas ranging from entrepreneurship to the humanities, and extended beyond the classroom through lectures, health clinics and other community-focused initiatives.
“What makes JCC such an important partner,” Gingerich continued, “is our shared belief in the transformative power of education and our shared commitment to this region. When institutions collaborate rather than operate in isolation, our students benefit, our communities grow stronger, and we create opportunities that will have impact for generations. We are grateful for all JCC has contributed to Cattaraugus County and are proud to be its partner."
Like CUTCO, Olean General Hospital, and St. Bonaventure, JCC's relationship with Intandem goes back decades, to when the organization was known as The Rehabilitation Center in Olean.
Intandem has worked with the JCC Foundation to provide scholarships to students, helping make higher education more accessible to residents.
More recently, JCC and Intandem have collaborated through the Direct Support Professional certification program, providing educational credits and opportunities for Intandem’s direct support professionals and frontline supervisors. Many Intandem employees have gone on to earn their associate degrees from JCC, benefiting the employees, their families, and the individuals they help support.
“Our partnership with Jamestown Community College is about much more than education," said Mari L. Howard, Intandem president and CEO. "It is about investing in people and in the future of our community. When we provide our employees with opportunities to learn and grow, everyone benefits. Our employees become stronger professionals, the people we support receive the benefit of that expertise, and our entire community becomes stronger. We are proud of the relationship we have built with JCC and look forward to continuing that partnership for many years to come.”