expansion

Speeches and shovels and breaking of ground aside, Dan Thoren really likes groundbreaking ceremonies for what they truly represent, he says.

And the Graham Manufacturing event Monday was the epitome of just that.

“It’s because of all the foresight, the strategy and the planning that goes into coming up to a day like this,” the company chief executive officer said. “Around eight or 10 years ago, I would get these surveys from the government, and it asked, what are your capabilities? And I’d fill them in and I’d think what the heck is all this just more bureaucracy? But they really wanted to know what our little business in Colorado could do.They wanted to know what we could design and what we could build. And I suppose at the same time, you know that eight or 10 years ago, there were people in Washington, DC, thinking about, what is the world going to look like in 10 years? What do we need to have in place to be able to deal with the threats that are coming at us?

“I remember going to conferences and hearing about this great power of competition and sometime that we’re going to have to prepare for. Evidently, the government thought that there was a big threat and that the industrial base was not in a good position to help support it. So budgets were proposed and passed, and we had funding for the industrial base,” Thoren said. “That’s what all started up when Graham received inquiries about what we could do, the capabilities that we would need to be able to support this effort. Our team came up with a great proposal and we’re going to begin to realize that today.”

Thoren and a handful of local, state and regional representatives grabbed those shovels to celebrate the 29,000 square-foot groundbreaking of Graham’s $17.6 million manufacturing facility in Batavia. The new construction is to mean 24 new full-time positions to meet customers’ growing needs, the U. S. Navy in particular, Thoren said. 

Graham is a global leader in the design and manufacture of “mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy and process industries,” company officials said.

“Graham is an ideal subcontractor for the Department of Defense. We are patriotic, and we enjoy supporting our brothers and sisters in the military. We are proud to be a U.S. manufacturer with over 85 years of continuous operation in the state of New York,” Thoren said. “We have a diversified base of business that includes both defense and commercial, and when you have to do both, you have to be competitive in both, and that stretches us. You know, most defense contractors get a bad name about getting fat and lazy, but when you're playing on the commercial side, you have to be good. You have to be competitive. And that’s really what this company is all about.”

More specifically, the manufacturing facility will support the submarine and aircraft carrier industrial base, said Matt Conway, director of operations. Genesee County is a great direct labor force to get that job done, he said.

“Really, here in Genesee County, we’re a success story for the Navy and for the DOD. So we continue to want to push those boundaries and invest in the organization,” Conway said. “Our board of directors understand that as an organization. We understand that, and we have partners within the defense community that support us. So really, that’s what today is all about, is growing and continuing the legacy that we have within the defense realm.”

A representative for U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, Representative for New York’s 24th Congressional District Claudia Tenney, and state Assemblyman Steve Hawley attended the event, which included a tour of the Florence Avenue facility that has a workforce of 367 employees.

“We know that this is really important work. And my son actually is a Naval Academy graduate. He thought about submarines, but ended up commissioning as a Marine, he's a major today in the Marine Corps. He also has an important job in intelligence, and tells me that what we do in the Submarine Force is so important to our nation's security. We are the leaders, and it's because of companies like Graham, and I love that you said that you were patriotic,” Tenney said. “And what I love even more is that you're staying here in Batavia. You're staying in New York, which is so important to support our economic base. We have great representatives here, people I've worked with who do a fantastic job to support the employees your industry, to support our national defense. It's really great to have this history. And so I just want to say congratulations and thank you to everyone at Graham.”

Hawley presented company officials with a certificate of merit and lauded them for retaining their roots  right where they started “and continues, even under the onslaught of what happens in New York and many of the other states,” he said.

“It’s a testament to what they feel about this local community and the employees that work here, almost 400 employees, 24 new jobs, a great $18 million investment, belief in the government and who you are and what you do and the product that you make, and the employees that make that quality product,” Hawley said.

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) board of directors approved a final resolution for LNK Holdings Inc./Craft Cannery’s expansion of its contract manufacturing facility in the town of Bergen at its board meeting on Thursday, March 28.

The proposed $1.465 million project enables Craft Cannery to expand operations at Apple Tree Acres by adding 4,000 sq. ft. to its existing 5,000 sq. ft. facility. The USDA-certified contract manufacturer provides dozens of customers with the capacity to ramp production of sauces, dressings, marinades, and other foods, produce small-batch foods, and pilot unique recipes for commercialization.

“The agribusiness industry continues to propel our region’s economy, having a successful and growing food and beverage cluster from Bergen to Pembroke represents the type of investments that have made Genesee County a destination for the private sector,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde.

The expansion will create 4 new full-time jobs and retain 6 full-time positions. Craft Cannery previously won a $500,000 grant at the 2022 Grow-NY Global Food and Agribusiness Competition that supports the expansion.

The company has requested payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT), sales, and mortgage tax exemptions valued at $72,496 to support the expansion. The proposed incentives for the additional 4,000 sq. ft. are estimated to return $3.06 million in projected wages and municipal revenues. The project would generate a $62 economic impact for every $1 of requested incentives.

The GCEDC board also approved a final resolution from LeatherLeaf Solar LLC for a 5 MW community solar farm in the town of Byron. The $9 million project is projected to generate $4,000/megawatts (AC) annually + a 2% annual escalator of revenues to Genesee County and Byron-Bergen Central School District, along with a host agreement with the Town of Byron. 

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) board of directors advanced an initial resolution for Graham Corporation’s proposed new commercial production facility at the agency’s board meeting on Thursday, December 7th, 2023.

Graham Corporation is a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer, and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries. The project will add to the company’s existing location in the city of Batavia where it has been headquartered since 1942.

The $13.9 million proposed investment includes the construction of an 18,900 sq. ft. expansion intended to reduce design and manufacturing costs and improve shipping capabilities for the organization’s US defense sector. The project will create 24 new full-time equivalent (FTE) positions while retaining 340 FTEs.

Graham Corporation is seeking sales tax exemptions estimated at $206,400 and a property tax abatement estimated at $197,826 based on an incremental increase in assessed value totaling the proposed financial agreements to approximately $404,226. For every $1 of public benefit, Graham is investing $68 into the local economy resulting in a local economic impact of $19.44 million in future wages and tax revenue.

A public hearing for the proposed project agreements will be scheduled in the city of Batavia.