Feb. 4, 2005: Economic Development
Progress in Oswego County
By L. Michael Treadwell, CEcD, Executive Director of Operation
Oswego County, Inc.
From the resurgence of manufacturing and
small business expansion, to the initiation of plans to retain and
attract young, talented employees, 2004 was truly a banner year
for economic development progress in Oswego County.
Last year, the Workforce Development Board
of Oswego County and OOC, in conjunction with Next Generation Consulting
of Madison, Wis., hosted two focus groups designed to identify strategies
to attract and retain young, talented employees throughout the county.
The groups were convened in Oswego, Pulaski and Fulton and served
to gather participants’ ideas on what makes Oswego County
attractive to professional employees ages 23 to 43. Utilizing labor
market information, economic impact studies and information gathered
during the focus groups, Next Generation Consulting rolled out a
detailed analysis of Oswego County at a public forum and recommended
several communities against which the county should benchmark itself.
With an increasingly competitive market for drawing this target
demographic to our area, Oswego County has taken a proactive approach
to define the unique regional characteristics that make it attractive
so that it will appeal to this group of people.
There were a number of successes throughout
the county such as the attraction of manufacturers such as Sure-Lock
Industries in Oswego, and expansions of companies such as Huhtamaki
in Fulton as well as a diverse mix of small businesses such as North
Shore Powder Coating and Metal Fabrication in Constantia, Stupp’s
Auto Body and Towing in Hannibal and Birth Journeys in Central Square.
Northern Oswego County Health Services expanded its health care
facility in Pulaski, Northeast Biofuels initiated the acquisition
of a 90-acre subdivision of Riverview Business Park in Volney for
ethanol production and Lowe’s home improvement store opened
in Oswego. Combined, these projects alone represent more than $150
million in capital investments.
Additionally, Oswego Hospital has over $28
million planned for significant expansion projects and the Campus
Center project planned for SUNY Oswego represents another $25 million
project.
The following is a synopsis of some of the
major economic development projects and initiatives facilitated
by OOC in the past year which will continue to contribute toward
making Oswego County more diversified and economically stable:
 |
| Pictured are Sen. James Wright and Sure-Lock
Industries co-owner Pat Jones viewing manufacturing equipment. |
Sure-Lock Industries, LLC
of Red Creek relocated its hardwood flooring business to a 60,000
square-foot building within the Oswego Warehousing compound on East
Seneca Street in the city of Oswego. The $1.4 million project is
expected to create 16 jobs initially and eight additional jobs within
the first year. In addition to funding from the County of Oswego
Industrial Development Agency (IDA), other partners who will help
finance the new manufacturer include the City of Oswego Community
Development Office (CDO), a New York State Senate grant secured
by Sen. James Wright, 48th District, Watertown, HSBC, Niagara Mohawk,
and the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board;
EJ Spirtas Group of St.
Louis, MO purchased the former International Paper facility located
on Mitchell St. in Oswego. The company plans to redevelop and market
the lake-front property which includes 55 acres with 164,000 square
feet of warehouse space, a 16,000-square foot office building, and
a 450,000-square foot, two-story manufacturing facility;
 |
| EJ Spirtas Group of St. Louis,
MO purchased the former International Paper facility located
on Mitchell St. in Oswego. |
Northeast Biofuels, LLC
initiated the acquisition of a 90-acre subdivision of Riverview
Business Park in Volney for a 100-million-gallon-per-year ethanol
production facility. The multi-million project will include retrofitting
approximately 300,000 square feet of the existing building and the
construction of two grain silos and one cooling tower. The project
is expected to create 51 jobs;
Lowe’s home improvement
store opened a 133,600 square-foot facility in Oswego creating 170
jobs. Lowe’s is the second-largest home improvement retailer
in the world with more than 1,025 stores in 45 states;
Matangi Motels, LLC acquired
the Days Inn in the city of Oswego. The 44-room motel is in the
process of being upgraded through building renovations and new furniture
and fixtures. The project created 15 jobs. Funding for the $1.6
million project was provided by the Oswego CDO, Oswego County National
Bank, County of Oswego IDA and an SBA 504 loan through OOC;
 |
| Lowe’s
home improvement store opened a 133,600 square-foot facility
in Oswego creating 170 jobs. |
Modheshwari Motels, LLC acquired
and will renovate the former Thomas Inn in the city of Oswego which
has been franchised as a Scottish Inn. Renovations to the 47-room
motel will include new furniture and fixtures. The $1.3 million
project created 13 jobs and received funding assistance from the
Oswego CDO, Oswego County National Bank, County of Oswego IDA and
an SBA 504 loan through OOC;
North Shore Powder Coating and Metal
Fabrication of Constantia is a new business that specializes
in metal fabricating, custom liquid painting and powder coating,
a paint process that consists of applying powder paint to an electrostatic
charged metal object and curing it in an oven or by infrared lighting.
The owner is a graduate of the Micro-Enterprise Training Program
and will receive funding from the County of Oswego IDA. The project
will create six jobs;
Stupp’s Auto Body and Towing
of Hannibal is a new auto body repair business that will provide
towing services and will specialize in restoring classic cars. The
owner is a graduate of the Micro-Enterprise Training Program and
received a Micro-Enterprise loan through the County of Oswego IDA;
Jake’s Automotive
is a new automotive repair business in Oswego. The project received
financial assistance from an SBA 504 loan through OOC, Oswego CDO
and Pathfinder Bank. The new business created four new jobs;
An initiative of U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, a new border patrol station will be constructed
in the city of Oswego. The facility represents an investment of
$2 million in the community and is expected to be completed by the
end of 2005;
Sashes and Lace Furniture Gallery
expanded its 19-year-old retail home furnishing business in Pulaski
by relocating to a larger retail space and making improvements to
their existing warehouse. The project received financial assistance
from the County of Oswego IDA;
 |
| Huhtamaki Consumer Packaging expanded
its operations and hired an additional 60 employees. Pictured,
from left, are Thomas Meucci, director of operations for Huhtamaki;
Assemblyman Will Barclay; OOC Executive Director L. Michael
Treadwell, CEcD; Oswego County Legislature Chairman Russ Johnson;
City of Fulton Mayor Daryl Hayden; and Sen. James Wright.
|
As a result of being awarded Ben and Jerry’s
packaging business in 2004, Huhtamaki Consumer Packaging
expanded its operations and hired an additional 60 employees. The
transition of the business to Fulton included a $1.1million project
to provide production tooling and equipment necessary to manufacture
the product. The project received financial assistance from a New
York State grant secured by Sen. James Wright, the County of Oswego
IDA and the Fulton Community Development Agency;
Canal Commons is a revitalization
project in downtown Oswego which involves the acquisition and renovation
of 30,000 square feet for approximately 10 shops. Forty-five jobs
will be created. Funding for the project will be provided by the
County of Oswego IDA, Oswego CDO and First Niagara Bank;
Creative Designs in Metal
is a new metal art business in Fulton. The business manufactures
tables, wall hangings, fireplace inserts, signs and industrial machine
parts and specializes in plasma cutting art and fabrication work.
The owner is a graduate of the Micro Enterprise Training Program
and received financial assistance from Fulton Savings Bank and a
Micro Enterprise loan through the County of Oswego IDA;
Northern Oswego County Health Services,
Inc. will expand its Pulaski Health Center facility to
improve the quality and accessibility of primary care, specialty
services and dental services. NOCHSI currently employs 80 and served
over 11,000 patients for a total of 37,000 annual visits last year.
Funding for the project was assisted by the County of Oswego IDA
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture;
 |
| Winter Harbor
LLC, a heated boat storage facility in Central Square, is in
the process of building a 40,000 square foot building to be
used for boat storage, painting and repairs. |
Winter Harbor LLC, a heated
boat storage facility in Central Square, will build a 40,000 square
foot building to be used for boat storage, painting and repairs.
The project received financial assistance from the County of Oswego
IDA, a SBA 504 loan through OOC and Solvay Bank. The expansion will
create 28 jobs; and
Birth Journeys in Central
Square is a new woman-owned business that specializes in hypnotherapy,
hypnobirthing, doula services and essential oil consultations. The
owner is a graduate of the Micro-Enterprise Training Program and
will receive funding assistance from the County of Oswego IDA.
As we look to 2005 and beyond, we are very
optimistic about Oswego County’s economic future. A committed
team of state and local economic advocates continually help the
area address challenges and grow new businesses.
As proof of this determination, Oswego County’s
Public Utility Service recently initiated a low-cost electrical
energy program for new and expanding businesses in Oswego County.
The goal of the low-cost power program is to create jobs using low-cost
electricity produced by Entergy Nuclear Northeast at the James A.
FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba. The Oswego County Public
Utility Service will allocate up to 10 megawatts of low-cost power
per year for the next six years. This low cost power allocation
is a unique incentive in upstate New York that could be structured
in economic development finance packages to expand and compliment
existing incentive programs such as the Empire Zone program, IDA
and SBA financing, and Empire State Development and Niagara Mohawk
economic development funding programs.
In order to remain visible to corporate real
estate decision makers to recruit new businesses and add new and
better job opportunities, OOC will continue to aggressively promote
Oswego County’s economic development opportunities through
national, international and regional trade publications, by participating
in exhibitions and industry-specific tradeshows, through business
outreach and by utilizing the Internet.
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