Economic
Development Newsletter
Quarter 2, 2006 (April-June):
 Download
this newsletter
This newsletter is partially
funded by Operation Oswego County Foundation, Inc. and our economic
development supporters.
Economic Development
Activity, Merit Awards Highlight OOC’s 54th Annual Meeting
Operation Oswego County held its 54th annual
meeting in June.
George Joyce, president of the Operation
Oswego County (OOC) board of directors, emphasized the continuing
significance of small business development to Oswego County’s
economy as well as initiatives in marketing and workforce development.
“As we look to the future, Operation
Oswego County’s efforts will continue to focus on helping
to make our existing businesses more competitive, helping to facilitate
investment and job creation/retention of our manufacturing base,
and continuing to promote and develop strategic initiatives to compete
for and attract new employers to our county,” Joyce said.
In 2005, projects assisted by OOC resulted
in the creation or retention of 384 jobs with over $92 million in
capital investment and 52 new, expanded or retained facilities.
Some of the numerous projects OOC provided
or helped arrange assistance for include:
Fulton Tool Company reestablished its business
in the former Oswego Wire building in Fulton, which was retrofitted
for the company whose building was destroyed by fire in 2003. The
project received funding assistance from the County of Oswego Industrial
Development Agency (IDA) and National Grid, employee training assistance
by the Workforce Development Board of Oswego County and the Oswego
County Department of Employment and Training, and a low-cost power
allocation through the “Power for Progress” program;
-
Fulton Machinery, a manufacturer of machinery components for
the paper, film and foil-converting industries, located in the
Start-Up Facility in the Oswego County Industrial Park in the
town of Schroeppel;
-
A new Arby’s located in Pulaski and created 18 jobs.
Financing assistance provided by the IDA. The IDA has also assisted
Arby’s restaurants located in Fulton and Oswego;
-
Lower Falls Development acquired and is converting the historic
Brick-house Building in Fulton to a mixed-use facility including
offices, retail, restaurant and residential space. The $700,000
project will create 21 jobs and received funding assistance
from the Fulton Community Development Agency (CDA), the Community
Preservation Corporation and the IDA;
-
Biodiesel manufacturer NextGen Fuel is locating at the Riverview
Business Park in the town of Volney. The $1 million project
will enable the production of five million gallons of biodiesel
a year, which will be sold to fuel distributors. Financial assistance
will be provided by OOC and the USDA and the project will be
located in the Fulton Empire Zone;
-
Huhtamaki Consumer Packaging completed its warehouse optimization
expansion located in the Fulton Empire Zone. The $2.7 million
project received funding assistance from the IDA, the County
of Oswego “Power for Progress” low-cost power program,
and a New York State grant secured by Sen. James Wright. The
project created 60 jobs; and
-
Precision Wood Flooring Products is a new company that will
manufacture high quality, pre-finished flooring to be sold to
national and international distributors. The company acquired
the 200,000-square-foot former Jefferson-Smurfit plant which
is located in the in the town of Volney. The $7.3 million project
is located in the Fulton Empire Zone and will create 54 jobs.
The project received funding assistance from the IDA.
The Ally Award for 2006 was presented to
the partnership of the International Brotherhood Of Electrical
Workers, Local 43 and the United Association Of Plumbers And Steamfitters,
Local 73, recognizing it as an “ally” organization
in the economic development process in Oswego County. Together,
the two unions played a crucial role in facilitating the future
production of ethanol in the Riverview Business Park in the town
of Volney by providing funding assistance of $3 million.
The Business Excellence Award for 2006 was
presented to Oswego Industries, Inc. for providing
vocational training and long-term employment to people with disabilities
in Oswego County for the past 36 years.
The 2006 Jobs Award, recognizing significant
capital investment as well as job creation and retention, was presented
to Lowe’s for its commitment to locate its
retail operations in the city of Oswego which resulted in the creation
of 170 local jobs .
Corte Spencer, managing
director of Oswego Health and Oswego Hospital administrator and
CEO, was honored with the 2006 Martin Rose Economic Developer Merit
Award for assisting with the development of the Oswego Health system.
He was also recognized for initiating the recent expansion of Oswego
Hospital and for serving on numerous community boards and committees
that play an integral role in economic development.
Back
to Top
OOC Names Road
and New Award in Memory of Dee Heckethorn
At its 54th annual meeting, the Operation
Oswego County board of directors honored the memory of Dee C. Heckethorn,
who passed away in March, by announcing that the entrance road to
the Lake Ontario Industrial Park will be named “Dee Heckethorn
Drive.”
In addition to serving as past president,
vice president and treasurer in his capacity as a member of the
OOC board of directors for more than 20 years, he also served as
a leader in several local organizations including the County of
Oswego Industrial Development Agency, Adirondack North Country Association,
Oswego Health, Workforce Development Board of Oswego County and
Greater Oswego Chamber of Commerce.
The board announced it will also institute
a new annual award titled the “Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur
Award,” which will recognize entrepreneurs who have demonstrated
measurable growth, increased employment opportunities and innovation
necessary for long-term business success.
Back to Top
OOC Elects New
Board Members
At its annual meeting, the Operation Oswego
County board of directors elected Mark Hofmeier, manager of Lowe’s
in Oswego, Kerry Dorsey, associate vice president for development
and alumni relations for SUNY Oswego, Joe Solazzo, business agent
for the Laborer’s International Union, Local 214, and Tom
Meucci, director of operations for Huhtamaki, to the board.
The organization also recognized retiring
board members Eugene Saloga, retired, community development, and
Joseph Wiedenbeck, president of Oneida Lake Petroleum Corporation,
for their valuable assistance in furthering economic development
in Oswego County.
Re-elected to another three-year term were
Ed Gilson, vice president of manufacturing for Fulton Boiler Works
Inc., Thomas McAuslan, executive director of the Port of Oswego
Authority, Carol Rutledge, director of the Fulton Community Development
Agency, Millard Sullivan, retired from Birds Eye Foods, Gary Toth,
business manager for Carpenter’s Local 747, and David Turner,
director of Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism
and Planning. Re-elected for a one-year term was Gregory Kreis,
president and CEO of Oswego County National Bank.
The new slate of officers elected to the
board includes George Joyce, president of Laser Transit, Ltd., as
president; Nancy Bellow, director of SUNY Oswego’s Center
for Business and Community Development, as vice president; Michael
Pollock, president of Fulton Savings Bank, as treasurer; and Alan
Horna, general manager and CFO of Oswego Wire, Inc., as secretary.
Back to Top
Announcements:
-
The County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency elected
its slate of officers including Carolyn Rush, chair; Gary Toth,
vice chair; and L. Michael Treadwell as secretary/treasurer.
Newly appointed to the board was H. Leonard Schick of Fulton.
Schick was formerly employed in the electric distribution industry.
-
OOC Executive Director L. Michael Treadwell was elected to
another two-year term to the New York State Economic Development
Council’s board of directors.
-
In partnership with New York State and National Grid, the
Village of Phoenix has developed a mainstreet revitalization
plan which will focus on renovating commercial properties along
the canal.
-
The Experience Works office has relocated from the NYS Department
of Labor building in Oswego, to the Oswego County branch building
located on 481 in Fulton. EW assists qualified workers, 55 and
older, by providing local training and employment opportunities
in Oswego County. Call (315) 591-9007 for more information.
Back to Top
|
