GCEDC

Press release:

Following a record-setting year of projects, Site Selection Magazine has ranked Batavia and Genesee County as the fifth most active micropolitan in the United States for business growth. Batavia and Genesee County continue to be recognized for financial investment and job commitments and economic impact at the region’s various shovel-ready sites.

Site Selection Magazine noted that the GCEDC assisted many businesses who made significant financial investments at its shovel ready sites across the county in 2021, including the Gateway II Corporate Park, Apple Tree Acres Business Park, Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, Buffalo East Tech Park, and Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP).

Among the projects cited by Site Selection Magazine were Plug Power’s $232 million financial investment at STAMP. Plug Power has commenced construction at the 1,250-acre mega site on North America’s largest green hydrogen project. The project is targeting to create 68 new jobs and will generate the largest contributions toward local municipalities and infrastructure of any commercial-industrial project in Genesee County.

"The Site Selection Governor's Cup Rankings once again confirm that Genesee County continues to build a strong and diverse economy,” said GCEDC Board Chairman Pete Zeliff. “I am proud of the work of our board and hard-working staff at the GCEDC to be once again recognized by Site Selection Magazine."

“Genesee County continues to demonstrate that our community is a great place to work, live and recreate through the significant financial investments being made by the private sector,” said Genesee County Chair Shelley Stein.

Projects assisted by the GCEDC in 2021 resulted in $343.5 million in financial investment and 171 new jobs being pledged. These projects are estimated to result in an economic impact of $645 million in Genesee County.

“Site selection professionals are increasingly seeing the Buffalo-Rochester Tech Corridor's talent, low-cost 100% renewable electricity, and sites like STAMP as a competitive combination of assets,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde.  “The efforts by Governor Hochul and the New York State Senate and Assembly to commit funding to making sites like STAMP even more shovel-ready will make us even more competitive both nationally and internationally.”

This is the seventeenth consecutive year that Batavia and Genesee County have been recognized as the top micropolitan for business growth in the northeast U.S., and as a top 5 micropolitan in the U.S for the 11th time since 2005.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider an initial resolution for a proposed $3.25 million investment by J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC at its board meeting on Thursday, March 3, 2022.

The J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC project includes the construction of a 52,332 sq. ft. facility in the town of Pembroke at Buffalo East Tech Park. The facility will include a 45,000 sq. ft. pre-engineered steel warehouse building with 7,332 sq. ft. office space.

J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC plans to create four full-time positions and with the investment, the project is expected to generate an estimated $9 in economic activity for every $1 of public investment. The project would receive approximately $900,000 in sales, mortgage, and property tax exemptions.

A public hearing on the proposed project would be held in the town of Pembroke at Pembroke Town Hall if the project application is accepted by the board of directors.

March 3, 2022, the GCEDC Board meeting will be held remotely at 4 p.m. A livestream and on-demand recording of the meeting also will be available at www.gcedc.com.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) announced that project agreements closed in 2021 resulted in $343.5 million in financial investments, including Plug Power’s $232 million clean energy facility to be constructed at the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP).  The projects resulted in 171 new jobs being pledged and the retention of 75 jobs.

“The financial investments, job retention, and creation from these projects in clean energy, manufacturing and housing demonstrate the diversity of our local economy,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the GCEDC.  “We anticipate further growth in these sectors moving forward in 2022.”

Plug Power’s $232 million investment into green hydrogen manufacturing facilities in the town of Alabama combines with over $55 million of infrastructure investments to support Plug Power and future projects at STAMP. The 68 pledged jobs in Phase I follow the ongoing construction at the site that commenced in October 2021.

Liberty Pumps announced a $13.7 million financial investment to expand its operations in the Apple Tree Acres business park in the town of Bergen with a pledge to create 30 new jobs.

Other manufacturing projects in 2021 include Land Pro Equipment starting construction on a 50,000-square-foot facility in the town of Batavia that will serve customers’ sales, parts, service and precision farming needs. LandPro, a John Deere dealer, will retain 62 jobs and make a financial investment of $9.2 million to build the facility.

At Gateway II Corporate Park in the town of Batavia, Gateway GS LLC is investing $2.3 million for a building tenant that will create 21 new jobs.  Valiant Real Estate USA LLC is investing $4.5 million to build a 20,000-square-foot facility on Saile Drive in the town of Batavia. The project would create 24 new jobs with an average salary ranging from $30,000 to $75,000 annually plus benefits.

Ellicott Station is moving forward with its clean-up and remediation of a brownfield site in the city of Batavia.  Savarino Companies is investing approximately $22 million to redevelop the site, which will include the construction of 55 residential units. Another housing project by Batavia Special Needs Apartments will provide a financial investment of $3.75 million to add 20 new units, retain 13 jobs and add 2 additional pledged jobs.

Other projects that contributed to financial investments in the county included land sales in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park in the town of Batavia and at Gateway II Corporate Park to support future projects.

Incentives provided by the GCEDC for the projects were approximately $129 million in sales, property, and mortgage tax exemptions.  The return on investment of these incentives is estimated to be 5:1 for a financial return of approximately $645 million through projected permanent employment, construction employment, supply chain activity, and revenues to Genesee County’s municipalities and schools.

“The GCEDC Board is pleased to see that our organization has exceeded our economic development goals in 2021,” said GCEC Board Chair Pete Zeliff.  “Genesee County remains a favorable place for capital investment by the private sector due to our proactive activities to develop sites, infrastructure, and workforce talent.”

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors approved a final resolution for a proposed $8.5 million financial investment by Mega Properties Inc. for the purchase of a vacant 147,000 sq. ft building in the town of Batavia at its board meeting on Thursday, January 13, 2022.

 

The new warehouse distribution facility located at Federal Drive will retain nine full-time employees and add 11 new positions to the site. The project will receive approximately $600,000 in sales, mortgage, and property tax exemptions.

 

A public hearing on the proposed project assistance was held Dec. 21 in the town of Batavia.

 

The GCEDC also approved assistance in Gateway GS LLC’s (Gallina Development) proposal to invest $2.9 million as part of an expanded project in the Gateway II Corporate Park. The financial investment supports the construction of a 33,600 sq. ft. facility.

 

Gateway GS LLC plans to create 21 FTEs with an average salary of $42,000 annually plus benefits. The expansion will generate an estimated $28 in economic activity for every $1 of public investment. 

 

An initial resolution has been accepted by the board for two 8-unit market-rate apartment buildings located south of Buffalo East Tech Park in the town of Pembroke by Franklin Real Estate and Development.

Press release:

Following his continued advocacy to make Upstate NY a global semiconductor manufacturing hub, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer personally called Tower Semiconductor CEO, Russell Ellwanger, about the company’s interest in expanding their operations. Schumer urged the CEO to locate their next semiconductor fabrication (“fab”) plant in Upstate NY. Tower Semiconductor is currently considering New York, along with several other locations, for a new $5 billion semiconductor fab plant that would create up to a thousand jobs.

Schumer said New York boasts several sites across Upstate that are ready to be home to Tower’s next chip fab, from the STAMP campus in Western New York and the White Pine Commerce Park in Central New York, to Marcy Nanocenter in the Mohawk Valley and Luther Forest in the Capital Region.  Schumer added that Upstate New York boasts a thriving semiconductor ecosystem, top-notch universities, a world-class workforce, and a diversity of companies across the supply chain. 

“Tower Semiconductor’s interest in expanding its manufacturing operations in the U.S., and potentially in Upstate NY, is exciting news for the entire state and a potential game-changer for the region. I made it clear to Tower that I strongly support locating their new semiconductor chip fab in New York. I know firsthand Upstate NY has all of the ingredients to be a global epicenter for semiconductor manufacturing and that is why any of our multiple shovel-ready sites from STAMP in WNY, White Pines in CNY, Luther Forest in the Capital Region, and Marcy Nanocenter in the Mohawk Valley is the perfect location for Tower Semiconductor’s new chip fab,” said Senator Schumer. “Our world-class New York workforce and distinguished research institutions, coupled with New York’s considerable experience in semiconductor manufacturing and R&D mean Upstate NY is tailor-made to be the home for Tower’s new fab. I stand ready to help Tower in any way for investment in New York, including securing the federal semiconductor manufacturing and R&D incentives, and further cement New York as a global hub for chip manufacturing.”

Schumer has long emphasized the importance of active federal support for the semiconductor industry including his push to include provisions in the FY2021 NDAA to create new federal semiconductor manufacturing, R&D, and training programs, noting that even though the U.S. revolutionized the semiconductor and broad microelectronics industries and invented nearly all of the key technology used to this day, by 2030, non-U.S. competitors are projected to control 83% of the global semiconductor manufacturing supply while domestic production could be less than 10%, which would be a threat to national security and economic competitiveness.

In June, Schumer successfully passed through the Senate the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), legislation he introduced that combined his Endless Frontier Act to make a significant investment in research, development, and innovation, other bipartisan competitiveness bills, and $52 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to implement the semiconductor-related manufacturing and R&D programs the senator authorized in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act. USICA also created a program to support legacy chip production that is essential to the auto industry, the military, and other critical industries. Schumer is now working with the House to pass USICA, including the historic federal semiconductor incentives, into law as well as supporting the passage as part of the Build Back Better reconciliation bill of a new 25% tax credit for investments in domestic semiconductor facilities and equipment, modeled after the FABS Act. 

Tower Semiconductor is an Israel-based leading foundry of high-value analog semiconductor solutions and provides technology and manufacturing platforms for integrated circuits in growing markets such as consumer, industrial, automotive, mobile, infrastructure, medical and aerospace, and defense.

Aaron Barnum was among several honorees Thursday morning at Terry Hills by the Genesee-Livingston-Orleans-Wyoming Workforce Development Board for their achievements in workforce development.

For Barnum, he was honored as a participant who found success working for GO Art! and Genesee Orleans Arc, which eventually led to a permanent job at Arc.

Other awards in Genesee County was Business of the Year to GCEDC for the agency's efforts in workforce development and Shannon Yauchzee for program participation.  There were also awards to individuals, businesses, and agencies in the other three counties.

Chris Suozzi, VP of business development for GCEDC, also spoke with The Batavian about GCEDC's workforce development efforts, which include apprenticeship programs, job shadows, and the annual GLOW With Your Hands event at the Genesee County Fairgrounds.

He also announced a new program set to begin in June called Cornell in High School.  GCEDC is seeking 40 students to participate, initially at Batavia HS and BOCES but other schools may be included to help achieve the goal of 40 participants.  Cornell will provide training, paid for by GCEDC at a cost of $500 per student, in dairy science and sanitation. The goal is to prepare career-minded students with knowledge and skills they can use to get work right after graduation in the county's food processing facilities. 

Each student who successfully completes the program will receive a certificate from Cornell

"That's kind of the things we're trying to do ... come up with new ideas that are meeting the needs of our employers, especially the big employers," Suozzi said.

Genesee County Manager Matt Landers this afternoon urged lawmakers to move swiftly on the financing piece connected to the construction of a new county jail.

Landers, speaking at the County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee meeting at the Old County Courthouse, said it is important for the governing body to approve a bond resolution in early January – preferably by Jan. 5 or Jan. 6 – in order for him to meet the schedule he has mapped out to solicit construction bids by early March.

“Time is of the essence and to wait until the end of January is going to be difficult with a timeline -- the timeline that we're looking at,” he said.

He outlined several items that need to be done, including approval of the State Environmental Quality Review, drafting bid packages, awarding contracts and preparing for cash outlay until the bond proceeds are received in mid-April. He noted that County Manager Scott German has sent documentation to bond attorneys and expects to have the resolution “in our hands by the fifth of January.”

“If we can pass it then … it takes 60 to 90 days, and we expect it to get closer to the 90 days just because of the pure size (of the bond),” he said.

The county is looking at financing around $70 million via a 30-year bond. Landers estimated that annual payments would be $3 million to $3.5 million.

Landers suggested taking up the matter at the legislature’s 2022 organizational meeting on Jan. 5 but, after discussion, it was decided to conduct a special meeting immediately after the organizational meeting.

In other action, the committee:

• Approved a special counsel agreement with Napoli Shkolnik PLLC for the New York City law firm to represent the county in litigation pertaining to generic drug manufacturers' overcharging of self-insured county employees and dependents for medical care supplies and pharmaceuticals.

Napoli Shkolnik LLC previously worked on behalf of Genesee and other counties on the opioid settlement, and is doing the same in this matter.

County Attorney Kevin Earl said the latest litigation claims that manufacturers have illegally price fixed or violated antitrust laws. He noted that Genesee County will not be responsible to pay anything, unless there is a recovery, and only will have to pay based on the net amount recovered.

• Approved a resolution to contract with Direct Energy Business, LLC, of Iselin, N.J., to supply natural gas to 20 Genesee County accounts at a fixed rate instead of the current variable pricing policy in an effort keep utility costs in check.

The contract, if approved by the full legislature, would run for 16 months, beginning on Jan. 1, 2022. The change is expected to save the various county budgets around $9,000 during that time.

• Approved a memorandum of understanding with Cornell Cooperative Extension for the county to support the agency in the amount of $385,484 for 2022 – an increase of nearly $47,000 from this year – and a contract renewal with Genesee County Economic Development Center to provide $233,513 as its yearly contribution plus an additional $25,000 for workforce training program administration.

Landers pointed out that the increases are for 2022 only and the total amounts are subject to change in 2023.

Steven Falitico of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce and Jim Krencik, marketing director for the Genesee County Economic Development Center, provided this photo from the WNY STAMP site that captures the progress of Plug Power's green hydrogen manufacturing project in the Town of Alabama.

Published reports today indicate that Samsung Electronics Co. has decided to build a $17 billion semiconductor plant in Taylor, Texas, ending speculation that South Korea’s largest company would be locating the facility in New York State and, possibly, at the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in the town of Alabama.

A story from Bloomberg Wire stated the chip-making plant will be constructed in the Central Texas city, which is about 30 miles from Samsung’s giant manufacturing hub in Austin.

A news conference led by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reportedly is scheduled for 5 this afternoon.

Sources close to the project said the plant would create about 1,800 jobs and chip production is expected to start at the end of 2024.

As late as September, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer – during an appearance at STAMP to promote Plug Power’s decision to build a green hydrogen facility there – said that Samsung officials toured the 1,250-acre site owned by the Genesee County Economic Development Center and that he was communicating “on a regular basis” with the company’s president.

A resolution posted on the Taylor, Texas, website reveals that the city is offering Samsung more than $300 million in tax credits for the first 10 years – and additional incentives for two subsequent 10-year periods, plus a tax waiver of 92.5 percent on all new property built on the site for the first 10 years.

We’ve hit the time of year when we rally around our high school teams, and I could not be prouder of what I’m seeing.

Our student-athletes are doing tremendous work.

It doesn’t go unnoticed in our schools, our families, and our communities. And our employers are cheering along too!

I was watching Le Roy finish their football season in the playoffs last weekend on a beautiful fall day. The season didn’t end the way the Oatkan Knights wanted, but each and every student in our fall sports season has showed the skills they will bring in the future.

Our student-athletes are clearly hard workers. Our companies love that these kids see the challenges in front of them, know what it takes to achieve their goals, and that opportunities are not just given. Our companies see student-athletes are coachable and are excelling in team environments.

I saw those skills across our entire region at GLOW With Your Hands. We had another great day of career experiences and conversations at the end of September.

More than 1,200 students have now participated in the event, meeting with dozens of manufacturers, skilled trades professionals, and our food production industry. After a year of video conferencing, having so much direct interactions with equipment and employers was energizing!

GLOW With Your Hands shows that we have the talent that companies need. The next generation of manufacturing leaders will come from our high school students who are already on a college or career pathway.  Students on a career pathway can get into an in-demand job and receive on-the-job training with little or no student debt.

I wish we could do GLOW With Your Hands every weekend, but this year’s event couldn’t have come at a better time.

In the past month, Genesee County has welcomed two more major projects in our green field developments. Like our playing fields, these projects require and reward the skills shown at GLOW With Your Hands and in across our schools this fall.

On Oct. 20, Plug Power broke ground at STAMP on the single-largest project investment ever in Genesee County. A week later, Liberty Pumps celebrated an expansion that will bring their membership above 300 people in Bergen. At the same time, multiple projects are building in both downtown Batavia and the Gateway II Business Park/Saile Drive corridor.

These are outstanding projects. They represent how our economy will continue to grow.

Most importantly, Plug Power and Liberty Pumps alone will be adding 100 new permanent jobs. And there’s plenty of construction jobs on display at both sites.

Even with companies growing and labor availability challenges across our country, filling these new jobs is a challenge that Genesee County is ready to answer.

And its our student-athletes that lead the solution.

I watched Le Roy senior leader Zach Vanderhoof on the field last weekend – and I’ve seen Zach guide younger students through the mechatronics training area at GLOW With Your Hands. I’ve seen him stand up as one of the first youth apprentices drafted by a local company last spring, and excel at Genesee Valley BOCES.

And he’s not alone. Since launching GLOW With Your Hands, the enrollment at Genesee Valley BOCES’ career and technical education centers has increased 30%.  Parents are realizing that not every student is meant for college or book learning.  The applied learning format, coupled with real life work experiences in high school, is a great route that leads to a fantastic career with a local company.  

Chris Suozzi is the Vice President of Business & Workforce Development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center

The vice president of Operations for the Genesee County Economic Development Center today said he “wholeheartedly agrees” with a statement from the Tonawanda Seneca Nation calling for improved working relations between the two entities in connection with the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in the Town of Alabama.

Lawyers for the Tonawanda Seneca Nation put out a press release over the weekend, reporting that a settlement was reached with the GCEDC after legal action by the Nation over the Plug Power project was dismissed by Acting Supreme Court Judge Charles Zambito.

The settlement spells out several items worked out between the Nation and the GCEDC. The press release indicated that the Nation is “hopeful that the agreement can be the framework for a more collaborative relationship with GCEDC and Plug Power moving forward.”

“I wholeheartedly agree with that statement,” said Mark Masse, GCEDC VP of Operations. “We certainly want to work together and be good neighbors as we continue to develop the STAMP site.”

Masse said the main part of the stipulation is that the Nation would not pursue further litigation on the Plug Power project, and it wouldn’t appeal and would challenge any of the other permits that would be issued “as long as they’re issued in the normal course of business.”

“So, some of things we did agree to is to have an on-site archaeological monitor, which is something that they requested,” he said. “There are some wetland areas and a buffer along the western boundary that will be under a conservation easement that ensures there will be no encroachment upon their territory. We had proposed a buffer anyways.”

The settlement also calls for assistance with job training for businesses that are at the STAMP site, prohibiting Plug Power from using pesticides on the protected lands and having cultural resource monitors onsite during earthmoving activities to help identify and protect any unanticipated cultural resource discoveries.

Additionally, around 200 acres (near Seneca Nation territory) of the 1,250-acre site will be protected from development.

Masse said that the GCEDC plans to develop only about 650 acres because the rest of the area is protected wetlands.

No money changed hands as a result of the settlement, Masse added.

Press release from Tonawanda Seneca Nation:

GENESEE COUNTY, New York — The Tonawanda Seneca Nation reached a settlement (with the Genesee County Economic Development Center) of a lawsuit seeking to stop Plug Power, Inc.’s construction of a facility that would anchor a manufacturing megasite, known as the STAMP (Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park) site. In June, the Nation petitioned the New York State Supreme Court to stop the development of the Plug Power project adjacent to the Nation’s land in Genesee County, but a judge dismissed the case on procedural grounds last week. The STAMP site is adjacent to the Nation and within the Nation’s ancestral territory.

“We’re disappointed that the court didn’t have the opportunity to hear our arguments in this case,” said Kenith Jonathan, Sachem Chief for the Wolf Clan of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and keeper of the Western Door. “We never got our day in court to explain how the project would diminish the Big Woods and have a negative impact on our Nation and our way of life.”

In its petition to the court, the Nation warned that the development would diminish the Big Woods, a pristine parcel of land that citizens of the Nation forage and hunt on, as they have for centuries. The Big Woods is a source of various traditional medicines important to the Nation’s culture and health. For centuries, the Tonawanda Seneca people have relied on the medicines, passing down that knowledge from generation to generation. Tonawanda Seneca citizens also play traditional games not far from the proposed Plug Power site. Citizens of the Nation voiced concern that the games would be disturbed by the traffic, noise and light pollution from the project.

“Make no mistake; we are opposed to developing a manufacturing megasite adjacent to pristine woods on undeveloped land,” said Chief Jonathan. “While we are disappointed that the construction will go forward, this settlement includes important protections to reduce the impact on our Nation and to protect our way of life. We are hopeful that the agreement can be the framework for a more collaborative relationship with GCEDC and Plug Power moving forward.” 

The settlement negotiated by the Nation will permanently protect from development over 200 acres of land on the STAMP site that is adjacent to the Nation’s territory. Plug Power, Inc. also is prohibited from using pesticides on the protected lands, which will further protect the environment. The Nation also will have cultural resource monitors onsite during earthmoving activities — to help identify and protect any unanticipated cultural resource discoveries.

A lawsuit filed by the Tonawanda Seneca Nation challenging the Genesee County Economic Development Center’s State Environmental Quality Review determination in connection with the Plug Power, Inc., project has been dismissed by Genesee County Acting Supreme Court Justice Charles Zambito.

The nation contended that the liquid hydrogen facility, which is in line to become operational sometime next year at the Western New York Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park in the Town of Alabama, would infringe upon its “Big Woods” sacred ground that is situated near the western end of STAMP.

As plaintiff in the legal action, the nation also sought to prove the GCEDC did not provide notification prior to the completion of the environmental review process.

Zambito, in his decision released on Sept. 28, ruled that the Seneca Nation failed to add Plug Power, Inc., as a defendant prior to the statute of limitations.

GCEDC reported its environmental impact determination on Feb. 4, giving the nation four months to amend its original suit of June 4 that listed only the GCEDC two top officers and board chair and vice chair as defendants.

The nation eventually added Plug Power, Inc., as a defendant on June 18 – two weeks after the deadline. Furthermore, it did so without “leave of the Court,” Zambito wrote, causing a delay in the amended petition’s filing until July 26.

In his analysis, Zambito wrote that “the proposed amended petition is untimely as it relates to Plug Power, Inc. (deemed a “necessary party”) and the individual GCEDC respondents. The motion to amend is denied accordingly and the amended petition is dismissed.”

He also dismissed the original petition for failure to include Plug Power, Inc., ruling that while the original petition was filed in a timely fashion, “the failure to join such a necessary party can result in the dismissal of the action.”

According to the GCEDC, Plug Power, Inc., plans to build the $232.7 million green energy technology facility at a 29.884-acre site at STAMP, with a proposed initial operation creating 68 new jobs at an average salary of approximately $70,000.

The Latham-based company also will invest $55 million to help build a 345/115KV electric substation in partnership with the New York Power Authority and National Grid. The substation will support future expansion and growth opportunities at STAMP’s 1,250-acre mega-site.

The GCEDC board of directors have approved the following incentives to Plug Power, Inc.:

• Approved Property Tax Payments (Payment in Lieu of Taxes): $2.3 million per year, $46 million over 20 years.
• Sales Tax Exemptions: $1.1 million.
• Estimated Savings: $117.7 million property tax savings over 20 years if assessed at cost of construction ($232.7 million).
• Anticipated assessment is much more likely to be $60-90 million. Payments of $2.3 million per year equate to a zero percent abatement on a $65 million assessment.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors approved a final resolution for financial assistance for a mixed-use development which will include six market-rate units in the town of Pembroke at its board meeting on Thursday, October 7, 2021.

The $1.7 million project by J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC includes the construction a 14,000 sq. ft. two-story building on 2.6 acres at the 67-acre Buffalo East Technology Park. There will be a 7,000 sq. ft. flexible layout for commercial tenants on the first floor and the six 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments on the second floor. The project is located adjacent to Yancey’s Fancy’s facilities on Brickhouse Drive.

J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC will receive $254,336 of financial assistance that includes sales, mortgage, and property tax abatements. The project is estimated to create a $4-to-$1 return on investment for Genesee County in addition to increased commercial and residential benefits in the town of Pembroke. A public hearing on the proposed agreement was held on October 5, 2021.

“We continue to build a critical mass of infrastructure, including housing at the intersection of Routes 5 and 77 in Pembroke which is an important thoroughfare in Genesee County with easy access to the New York State Thruway,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde.  “This growth in turn is generating new jobs, private sector capital investment and revenues for our local government partners.”

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider a final resolution supporting a mixed-use development adding six market-rate units in the town of Pembroke at its board meeting on Thursday, October 7, 2021.

The proposed $1.7 million investment by J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC would construct a 14,000 sq. ft. two-story building on 2.6 acres at the 67-acre Buffalo East Technology Park. The project would be located adjacent to Yancey’s Fancy’s facilities on Brickhouse Drive.

The 14,000 sq. ft. project includes a 7,000 sq. ft. flexible layout for commercial tenants on the first floor and six 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments on the second floor.

The project has requested $254,336 of sales, mortgage, and property tax assistance. The project is estimated to create a 4-to-1 return on investment for Genesee County in addition to increased commercial and residential benefits in the town of Pembroke.

A public hearing on the proposed agreement will be held at 4 p.m., October 5 at the town of Pembroke offices, 1145 Main Road.

October 7, 2021, the GCEDC Board meeting will take place at 4 p.m. at 99 Med-Tech Drive.  A livestream and on-demand recording of the meeting also will be available at www.gcedc.com.

The decision to invest approximately $10 million to build a 50,000-square foot headquarters at the intersection of West Saile Drive and Call Parkway in the Town of Batavia not only serves to showcase the growth of John Deere-authorized dealer LandPro Equipment but also will provide numerous career opportunities for students in the Genesee Region.

That message was communicated clearly today as representatives of LandPro, which has 20 locations in Western and Central New York, Northwest and Central Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, gathered with local government and economic development officials, for an on-location groundbreaking ceremony.

“It really will end up being our home location, our central store for LandPro equipment,” said Tracy Buck, company president and chief operating officer. “We’ll have a lot of our leadership team that will work out of here, besides the day-to-day operations that happen at all of our locations.”

Buck said that construction could get started as early as next week and that he expects it to be completed by November 2022. LandPro has hired Thompson Builds of Churchville as the general contractor.

Noting that LandPro will merge its Oakfield and Alexander facilities into the one on West Saile Drive, Buck said the company’s recent expansion enables it to construct what will become LandPro’s central training center, and base of its Precision Farming Division as well as John Deere agriculture, commercial, compact construction and turf equipment sales, parts, retail and service capabilities.

“Now with LandPro the size that we are, we have the resources,” he said. “The time is the time to do this.”

Steve Hyde, president/CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, which has approved tax abatements for LandPro, called the investment “meaningful in our community (as) the types of services you guys are going to offer is really going to create great jobs for our kids.”

“We thank you guys for investing in our Glow with Your Hands initiative and the workforce stuff that we have tried to spear, to really kind of put kids in the heart of opportunities like exactly what you’re creating; creating investments for our kids,” Hyde said. “That’s what drives me and my team … it’s about good opportunities for our kids.”

Buck responded by stating Hyde’s sentiment works both ways.

“We’re in Batavia for a reason and Genesee County for a reason. It’s a very business-friendly community that we really appreciate,” he said. “We have nothing without our employees and, as you all know, there’s a big need for qualified employees.

“We have some great opportunities, high-paying jobs available, advancement opportunities. Any help that we can get going forward to attract people to this industry, we’re all in and partners with you.”

Elba Central School Superintendent Gretchen Rosales welcomed LandPro to the area, mentioning that she is “looking forward to the opportunities that you can provide, not only for our students to enhance their learning opportunities but also for the community as a whole.”

And Assemblyman Steven Hawley emphasized agriculture’s role in Genesee County’s economy as he thanked LandPro for its commitment to the area.

“New York is not known as a business-friendly state,” Hawley said. “I bring folks up from New York City, other assembly people, to see who we are and how we live and what the economy is all about. And agriculture is number one so, on behalf of the State of New York and Senator (Edward) Rath, I want to tell you how much this means to all of us.”

Buck said LandPro’s has 500 employees, with about 60 to 65 of them slated to work full time out of the Town of Batavia location.

“We’ll also have a training center here so we will be able to bring in … 50 people, roughly, training at any one time at this location,” he said.

The company’s product line includes Stihl hand-held products, John Deere turf line equipment, and four-wheel drive tractors, combined and choppers.

“We represent pretty much everything that John Deere sells today other than the heavy construction equipment … We have to have a very diversified group of salesmen, parts and service people to take care of all of this equipment,” Buck added.

Hyde said that LandPro’s project continues an effort that began around 2005.

“We started 16 years ago, really working on this ag, business, transportation, logistics, distribution, warehousing, heavy equipment kind of cluster right here at this intersection, right here with the Town of Batavia and the county,” Hyde said, noting that Congressman Tom Reynolds was the one “giving us a check to pay for this road and the infrastructure to go in.”

He said that ignited the growth and development that can be seen in the GCEDC’s corporate parks and on Saile Drive, north of the Thruway bridge.

“Right now, we’re almost at 400,000 square feet of new build in that 16 years, with over 400 people working here. And you guys continue that sign of excellence, and we want to thank you very much for your continued investment in Genesee County and in the Town of Batavia,” he said.

Photo at top: Assemblyman Steven Hawley makes a his point as he speaks with LandPro Equipment personnel following today's groundbreaking ceremony. Photo at bottom: Taking part in the LandPro groundbreaking ceremony today are, from left, Paul Williams, operations manager/North; Steve Hyde, GCEDC; Patti Michalak, Town of Batavia council member; Legislator Gordon Dibble; Gregory Post, Town of Batavia supervisor; Tom Sutter, vice president/sales; Ryan Payment, vice president; Tracy Buck, president/CEO; Tim Black, vice president/aftermarket; Assemblyman Steven Hawley, and Gretchen Rosales, Elba Central School District superintendent. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Previously: LandPro's new facility in Town of Batavia will be company's 'main hub for technology'

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors approved a final resolution for incentives supporting Liberty Pumps for a $13.7 million expansion at the company’s operations in the Town of Bergen the board’s September 9, 2021 board meeting.

Liberty Pumps will invest approximately $13.7 million to build a 107,138 sq. ft. materials facility in the Apple Tree Acres business park. The proposed facility is anticipated to contribute to the continuing growth of the company and will create 30 new full-time jobs with an average salary of $52,000 annually plus benefits. It is estimated that the project will generate $29 of investment into the local economy for every $1 of approved incentives. The project will receive sales and property tax exemptions of approximately $1.5 million.    

The GCEDC Board of Directors also accepted an initial application for a $4.5 million project proposed by Valiant Real Estate USA, Inc. (New York Bus Company). The company plans to build a new 20,000 square-foot facility at the corner of Saile Drive and Call Parkway in the Town of Batavia.

The project would create 24 full-time employee positions with an average salary range of $30,000 - $75,000 annually plus benefits. The project is requesting approximately $430,000 in sales, mortgage, and property tax exemptions. The project is estimated to generate $50 into the Genesee County economy for every $1 of requested incentives.

Finally, the Board accepted an initial application for incentives from J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC.  The company is proposing a $1.7 million capital investment for a 14,000 square foot building located at Buffalo East Technology Park in Pembroke, NY.

J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC plans to build six market-rate one-and two-bedroom apartments along with a 7,000 square foot commercial space.. The project is requesting approximately $254,000 in sales, mortgage and property tax exemptions.

As both projects are requesting incentives of over $100,000, public hearings will be scheduled prior to final consideration of incentives.

Destination: Corner of West Saile Drive and Call Parkway.

New York Bus Sales -- pending approvals by local planning boards and scheduling of a public hearing – will be putting into motion its plan to construct a 20,000-plus-square foot facility at what has become a “go-to” location in the Town of Batavia.

Following a 10-minute presentation by two company officials this afternoon, the Genesee County Economic Development Center board of directors accepted an application from Valiant Real Estate USA, Inc., which is working on behalf of the Chittenango-based business – the largest authorized Blue Bird school bus dealer in New York State.

“When we were looking at this, we looked at strategically planning it and Batavia was the spot that worked for us,” said John Johnston, company vice president. “It is centrally located between two of the major urban areas. Electric buses – that’s where they will be strong. It made more sense for us to put it here.”

Johnston and Comptroller Jeff Purdy said Blue Bird is “very big” into alternative fuels, with many of its fleet of buses powered by propane and an increasing number by electricity.

“One of the big things that we see coming, that Blue Bird sees coming is electric vehicles,” Johnston said. “They are on the forefront with some of the first electric school buses. They have over 500 of them in service currently and another 500 to be delivered by the end of the year.”

The Batavia location would replace a leased facility in Rochester, said Purdy, noting the Rochester shop is significantly smaller, and is landlocked with no room for expansion.

Johnston said they considered putting the facility in Buffalo “but that did not make sense; it made more sense to centrally locate it in Batavia.”

Chris Suozzi, GCEDC’s vice president of Business & Workforce Development, said he showed several sites – including Pembroke and Bergen -- to Johnston and Purdy.

“They settled on Batavia,” Suozzi said. “They said they wanted to be on Saile Drive, and I think it’s the last lot that they found.”

New York Bus Sales’ proposal is to construct the building to support the sales and parts needs as well as the service of school buses in Western New York. The company hopes to break ground this fall.

Johnston said his company will be able to maintain the vehicles of bus companies that service schools in Western New Work – businesses such as First Student, First Transit and Student Transportation of America.

“So, one of the things that we’re looking at is some of those operators don’t have repair facilities – they basically outsource it. So, we’re looking at the fact that we’ll actually bring them in and maintain some of those vehicles. We’re basically like a car dealer, but for school buses,” he said.

He noted that electric vehicles would be most useful to schools located in urban areas, and that’s another reason Batavia fits the bill,

“We’re talking the second- and third-largest urban areas, and (us) being centralized between them,” he said. “We think that’s the biggest window of opportunity for EV product to be out there.”

Breaking down the proposed Batavia facility’s layout, there will be approximately 12,000 square feet of repair area with 11 work bays; approximately 4,000 square feet for parts, and approximately 4,000 square feet of office space, and another 1,500 square feet for a meeting/training room to support school districts and school bus operators.

Johnston said New York Bus Sales supports the New York Association For Pupil Transportation, and the New York Head Mechanics Association For Safe Pupil Transportation, Inc.

“One of the things that they get into quite frequently is having a facility to train in,” he said. “We will have a training room in this facility to not only train mechanics for the school districts but also to support and back both of those organizations in this part of the state.”

They said the site will include 18 parking spaces for electric buses, more than 100 parking spaces for full size buses and more than 50 parking spaces for mini-buses, with six regular charging stations and two fast charging stations. LaBella Associates of Rochester has been hired to do the engineering and design work.

Purdy said the total capital investment is estimated at $4.5 million, and the project will create 24 additional full-time equivalent jobs paying $30,000 to $75,000 annually by year three.

New York Bus Sales is seeking $430,120 in tax abatements: $224,800 in sales tax exemptions, $45,000 in mortgage tax exemptions and $160,320 in property tax exemptions. A 10-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes Agreement also is part of the financial assistance proposal. GCEDC officials project that for every $1 of public benefit, the company is investing $50 into the local economy.

The company has eight locations across the state – main sites in Chittenango, Ravena, Middletown and (currently) Rochester, as well as service contract facilities at school districts in Greene, Whitney Point, Morris and Malone. It also has three on-the-road service technicians.

In other action, the GCEDC board gave its final approval of incentives to Liberty Pumps expansion in Bergen and accepted the application (with a public hearing to be scheduled) for J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC’s mixed-use development project at Brick House Corners in the Town of Pembroke.

Photo at top: John Johnston, right, and Jeff Purdy present New York Bus Sales plan to build at the intersection of West Saile Drive and Call Parkway in the Town of Batavia. Photo at bottom: Site plan of the garage and numerous parking spaces for school transportation vehicles. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Previously: GCEDC board to consider three projects at meeting on Thursday

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider resolutions advancing three projects with a combined capital investment of approximately $19.9 million at its board meeting on Thursday, September 9, 2021.

The GCEDC Board will consider a final application for incentives from Liberty Pumps for its proposed $13.7 million expansion at its operations in the town of Bergen at the Apple Tree Acres industrial park. The company plans on constructing a 107,138 sq ft. materials center, creating 30 new jobs with an average salary of $52,000 annually plus benefits.

Liberty Pumps is seeking property and sales tax exemptions of approximately $1.5 million.  It is estimated the expansion project would generate $29 of private investment into the local economy for every $1 of public investment. A public hearing regarding the project incentives was conducted on August 26, 2021.    

The Board also will consider accepting an initial application from Valiant Real Estate USA, Inc. (New York Bus Sales.)  Valiant is proposing a $4.5 million capital investment to construct a 20,000 sq. ft. facility on Saile Drive in the town of Batavia. The project would create 24 new jobs with an average salary ranging from $30,000 – $75,000 annually plus benefits.

Valiant Real Estate USA, Inc. is seeking sales, mortgage, and property tax exemptions of approximately $430,120. The project is estimated to generate $50 of investment into the local economy for every $1 of public investment.

Finally, the Board will consider accepting an initial application from J & R Fancher Property Holdings LLC which is proposing to construct a two-story mixed-use building on 2.6 acres at Buffalo East Tech Park in the town of Pembroke. This is the first of three phases of development that Fancher is proposing at the tech park.

The $1.7 million investment would include six market-rate 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments on the second floor and a first floor comprised of a 7,000 sq. ft. vanilla box interior intended to attract commercial tenants. The total planned square footage of the facility is 14,000 sq. ft.

J & R Fancher Property Holdings LLC is requesting sales, mortgage, and property tax exemptions totaling $254,336. and is estimated to produce $4 of investment into the local economy for every $1 of incentives.

If the initial applications for Valiant Real Estate USA, Inc. and J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC are accepted, public hearings on the proposed project incentives agreements will be held prior to consideration of the final resolution.

The Sep. 9 GCEDC Board meeting will take place at 4 p.m. at 99 Med-Tech Drive, Suite 107.  The meeting also will be available online at www.gcedc.com.

Longtime Batavia area residents surely remember George’s Dairy, the welcoming store run by the farm family on the west side of Route 98, just past the Thruway bridge heading north out of the city.

The dairy, known for its delicious chocolate milk and specialty fruit drinks, was a destination back in the 1960s and ‘70s – a lone business surrounded by acres and acres of farmland.

Fifty years later, streets called Federal Drive, Commerce Drive and Call Parkway – filled with hotels and commercial/industrial enterprises in developments known as “corporate parks” – greet motorists traveling over that same Thruway bridge toward Saile Drive, which also has become a hot spot for new business ventures.

“What we have seen and continue to see in that part of the town is the result of the efforts of several true visionaries, people such as the Call family, George Forsyth, Torchy Babcock and Carl Scott – visionaries who paved the way at great sacrifice to their political land personal careers,” Batavia Town Supervisor Gregory Post said.

Post credited governmental officials for “getting everyone into the room” – farmers, businessmen, politicians, engineers, architects, real estate brokers and industrial development agency staff – to install the infrastructure necessary to make that area a viable alternative for entrepreneurs.

“Infrastructure is the key,” said Post, a forward-thinking administrator in his own right. “Getting public water and sewer, and don't discount the fact that sales tax in Genesee County is (or was) less than in Monroe and Erie.” (Post was referring to sales tax rates at early stages of development).

‘GATEWAY’ TO ECONOMIC GROWTH

This has enabled the Genesee County Economic Development Center to establish the Gateway I Corporate Park (Federal and Commerce Drive) and Gateway II Corporate Park (Call Parkway) off of Route 98, and to help facilitate the buildup of West and East Saile Drive, which is anchored by the Milton CAT (Caterpillar heavy equipment) facility.

Steve Hyde, GCEDC president and chief executive officer, said he realized when he started at the agency in 2002 that there would be a demand for commercial bases between Western New York’s two large cities.

“From my first days at the GCEDC, we knew that there was demand for more capacity for these industries and for larger consolidated operations centers serving Buffalo and Rochester that could support enhanced jobs and investment,” Hyde said. “There were already signs that the market was responding at Gateway I Corporate Park. We had to be ready for more.”

Hyde said that after two decades of working with municipal partners and landowners on projects, “that demand has turned into successful results.”

“Both of Genesee County's business parks are fully activated. The businesses and careers that started this momentum have thrived, and more construction is on the way,” he said.

“And it’s incredible to see our heartland industries like the ag and construction equipment and logistics and transportation growing hand-in-hand with our shovel-ready sites north of the Thruway, and all along Saile Drive.”

A FLURRY OF DEVELOPMENT

Close to two dozen businesses are located at the two corporate parks and along Saile Drive.

Gateway I, which broke ground about 20 years ago, is sold out.

Businesses there include Farm Credit East (pictured below), (formerly) Aluydne (pictured below), Fairfield Hotel, Mondelez, Traco Manufacturing, Mega Properties (Koolatron, Exide Technologies, Auto Plus Auto Parts), Jasper Engines & Transmissions, Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn and Fairbridge Inn. The 147,000-square foot Aluyde building is currently listed by Pyramid Brokerage.

Gateway II (Call Parkway) features Ashley Furniture, Mega Properties and Gateway GS LLC, the latter being a five-building project of Gallina Development Corp. of Rochester (pictured below). The Mercy Flight EMS Genesee base just off Route 98 is adjacent to the park.

Moving to Saile Drive, you’ll find Alta Equipment Company/Vantage Equipment (pictured below), SCP Distributors, Monroe Tractor, Freightliner & Western Star of Batavia, Milton CAT (pictured below) and L&M Specialty Fabrication, which is close to Bank Street Road (pictured below).

LandPro Equipment, Valiant Real Estate USA (New York Bus Sales) reportedly will be building on Saile Drive, while Rochester Regional Health is preparing to construct a four-story office building on Route 98, across from Federal Drive and near Call Parkway.

“What we’re seeing now is that the whole area is erupting with activity,” said Chris Suozzi, GCEDC’s vice president of business and workforce development. “The Gallina project is indicative of what is happening.”

GALLINA’S BIG PROJECT IS UNDERWAY

Suozzi said Gallina’s plan is to erect five 27,000-square foot buildings. One is complete and the second one is under construction.

“Everything has grown organically as our industrial parks were kind of the anchor tenants, if you will, in the beginning,” he said. “Organically, because of it being zoned Industrial out there, we’re seeing this tremendous impact over a course of time.”

GCEDC Marketing Director Jim Krencik mentioned the need for modern, office warehousing, calling it “flex space.”

“That’s what Gallina is doing,” he said. “They have 20 acres in total, and will sell four acres every time they complete one of the buildings. Then they will take ownership of the buildings from the GCEDC, which owns the property."

Krencik said Gallina’s investment is around $2 million for each building.

“When you look out across the country, including the Buffalo and Rochester markets, there isn’t a large amount of really good, modern usable facilities,” he added.

Suozzi said the reason for that is that the “industrial vacancy rate is really low.”

“A lot of the existing inventory of buildings – you get your commercial and industrial real estate folks .... there’s not inventory available. The market is demanding that you have flex space or spec space so that the capacity is there when somebody really wants a product,” he offered.

He said the first Gallina building was built on speculation, recognizing that it would fill over time.

“The first (Gallina) building went up without a tenant,” he said. “Now, they’ve subdivided into thirds and there are three tenants in there.”

Buildings two through five are being constructed with tenants already lined up, he advised.

PRIVATE OWNERS MAKING DEALS

Tony Mancuso, longtime real estate broker for Mancuso Commercial Realty, said he has represented numerous landowners at Gateway I, Gateway II and Saile Drive as well as selling the parcel where the Federal Detention Facility is located and most of the parcels on Veterans Memorial Drive to the southwest.

“There’s not a lot of land left in those areas, actually,” he said, although he did say he is representing owners of about 10 vacant acres on Saile Drive.

Mancuso said developers will be looking to areas beyond the corporate parks, likely on land further west of Route 98.

Krencik said Saile Drive has intensified over the past decade, becoming a huge corridor for logistics as well as heavy equipment manufacturing, servicing and production that feeds into agriculture and transportation.

“We have our own park, but you really see the spillover and multiplier effect happening all the way down that street from Route 98 to Bank Street Road,” he said. “We’re taking about projects that have invested over $50 million in facilities they built or are planning to build on 500,000 square feet between those two areas and creating several hundred jobs.”

REAL ESTATE BROKER ‘NOT SURPRISED’

He called Saile Drive “almost a secret industrial park” with companies serving the need for big equipment, such as Milton CAT – “like-minded businesses all having the same vision and locating within a short distance of each other.”

Suozzi said GCEDC was the catalyst of this activity, but now “you’re seeing other people that own land along Saile Drive, that once the infrastructure was put in … you’re seeing local commercial/industrial realtors like Tony Mancuso, Rick Mancuso and Russ Romano who are selling property for individual owners along Saile Drive.”

Rick Mancuso, managing partner of Mancuso Real Estate, said he has represented property owners on Saile Drive, closing on several sales, including L&M Specialty Fabrication.

A business owner for many years, he said he could see this influx of development coming.

“I think that area is just beginning to take off right now. The close proximity of the (Genesee County) Airport and the Thruway make that property a real viable area for development,” he said.

“When land became scarce, the farmland started being sold and bought up at rates that even surprised the real estate brokers. It doesn’t surprise me, though, especially with our location between Buffalo and Rochester.”

Photos by Mike Pettinella.