Strategies

strategy & action plan

Through group discussions with stakeholders, the planning team identified areas of key opportunities and challenges to achieving sustainable economic development in the region. After reviewing the goal, indicators and targets, and the key opportunities and challenges, a set of economic development strategies were identified for future implementation. Strategies were selected based on the contribution of each to advance the plan’s overall economic development goal and targets. In addition, strategies were evaluated for their overall benefits to the region, as well as the costs and feasibility for implementation.

In establishing an action plan for the region, these strategies were prioritized according to their readiness for implementation in the short-term opportunities or long-term initiatives, with short-term defined as 1-5 years and long-term defined as 5-10 years, as these opportunities may require additional time and effort to develop and implement.

Key strategies that have been identified to achieve sustainable economic development include:

Short-Term Opportunities

a) Maintain a strong foundation for the management and efficient delivery of government services at the federal, state, and local level.

b) Support the development and maintenance of a modern infrastructure network in Central New York that is focused on roads, sewer and water facilities, transit services, telecommunication resources, air and rail services, shovel ready development sites, and port facilities that will serve the region’s advanced manufacturing cluster for semiconductor, unmanned aerial systems, and smart cities 5G companies.

Long-Term Initiatives

c) Develop a coordinated regional program that will improve the quality of life in Central New York through targeted investments in the region’s recreation, cultural, arts, and historic resources.

d) Maintain a strong network of county and regionally-based organizations with the capacity to coordinate the delivery of a range of economic development services, tax abatement, and financial assistance in Central New York.

e) Support the operation of a coordinated and robust business retention and expansion program in Central New York

f) Maximize the region’s human capital by improving the alignment of workforce supply and employment demand in the region.

g) Encourage the growth of a strong entrepreneurial culture in Central New York that will strengthen the region’s economy through new venture formation and product development activities.

h) Support the region’s industry concentrations and clusters through investment of resources in targeted research initiatives, capital funding, infrastructure resources, supply-chain shovel-ready site assets, and workforce training programs.

i) Coordinate implementation of a comprehensive regional marketing and business recruitment program.

j) Support the development of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” IoT industry cluster in Central New York.

Maintain a strong foundation for the management and efficient delivery of government services at the federal, state, and local level.

In developing an economic development strategy, it is important to acknowledge that the region is competing for jobs on a regional, national, and international level. This competition underscores the importance of providing traditional public services to business and residents in an efficient, cost effective, and professional manner. In Central New York these services are provided through a formal legislative structure and public administrative offices. Through these offices, communities have been able to maintain a complex infrastructure network, a strong public school system, an effective public safety system and emergency communication service, a comprehensive solid waste system, records management, a range of public health and social welfare services, and an efficient tax collection system. In most cases these services are delivered efficiently with per capita tax expenditure being among the lowest in the State.

To build on this record of accomplishment in CNY, communities are continuing efforts to further consolidate the delivery of services in the region. Examples of this actions include work by the CNY Regional Transportation Authority, the Onondaga County Water Authority, and an integrated county-based 911 Emergency Communication System being implemented in the region. Other steps being taken include efforts to reduce the cost of mandated services and public pensions for local communities. Beyond these macro-level initiatives, consideration must be given to actions that can facilitate sustainable development in the region. These actions include efforts to implement a comprehensive storm water management program in the region along with efforts to broaden the reach of green infrastructure and smart growth policies in Central New York. Complementing these activities is work that can be done on an inter-municipal basis to standardize municipal forms and application for permitting, zoning, and building code applications in the region. In addition, work can be done to better inventory the region’s public infrastructure and use this information to development a coordinated asset management and capital improvement program for major resources in CNY. Complementing these activities is the ongoing work which must be continued through various leadership organizations in CNY that provide a forum to coordinate public policy and community development initiatives in the five-county area.

Support the development and maintenance of a modern infrastructure network that is focused on roads, transit services, sewer and water facilities, telecommunication resources, commercial air service, a navigable water harbor port facility, rail services, and shovel ready development sites.

The provision of public infrastructure is one of the most vital services that can be provided to the business community in Central New York. The principal issues of concern to businesses in this field are reliability and cost of service, convenient access and proximity to markets and supplies, speed of communication, capacity and redundancy of vital services, and affordable real estate assets. In reviewing these issues, it is important to note that CNY has a very robust infrastructure network and real estate market that is capable of meeting most of the present day demands in the marketplace and future needs as the economic base of the region grows. To capitalize on these resources, communities need to consider the merits of developing a coordinated asset management and capital improvement program for the major infrastructure resources in the region. As part of this effort, attention must be focused on actions which can be taken to properly address the I-81 Challenge regarding the replacement of the highway viaduct in downtown Syracuse. Consideration should also be directed toward improvements to the waste-water treatment plants in Auburn, Cortland, Fulton, Oneida, Phoenix, and Clay to support pending business expansion projects in these communities.

Opportunities are also available to capitalize on plans to improve rail freight service in the region through the implementation of projects such as the intermodal rail freight-inland port initiative in the Towns of DeWitt and Manlius. Ideas have also been advanced to the planning and conceptual design stage for expansion of the Port of Oswego and to complete a major water transmission and distribution line across the north shore of Oneida Lake which will bring vitally needed service to this part of the region and areas in northern Madison County, while at the same time significantly improving the overall redundant capacity of the region’s major water distribution network. Other high priority initiatives include the provision of public sewer and water service to the Clay White Pines Commerce Park, the Madison County Agriculture and Renewable Energy Park, and the Syracuse Inner Harbor in support of a large urban waterfront revitalization commercial mixed-use development that has been proposed for the area.

Develop a coordinated regional program that will improve the quality of life in Central New York through targeted investments in the region’s anchor institutions, recreation assets, cultural and historic resources, and gateway centers.

One of the primary goals of the CNY Regional Economic Development Council Strategic Plan is to support the revitalization of the region’s urban cores, main streets, and neighborhoods. In advancing this goal, it is recognized that strong regions are built around vibrant communities with the capacity to attract, retain, and nurture the human and social capital needed to compete in the world marketplace for ideas and talent. To help facilitate an improvement in the quality of life experienced by local residents, communities across Central New York are encouraged to pursue opportunities associated with key resources that are located in their community centers. In many instances these assets include certain location advantages, education institutions, recreation centers, along with various cultural, arts and historic resources. By capitalizing on these assets, communities can help make the region more attractive to the existing workforce and new employers that are considering locating in the area.

To realize the potential of the region’s community assets, a strong recommendation is made to focus resources on reinvigorating the region’s community centers and main streets through mutually beneficial partnerships with key institutions, repurposing existing physical assets through adaptive reuse and investing in historic buildings, brownfield redevelopment, carefully planned transportation improvements, and targeted infrastructure investments. As part of the effort to develop and retain the workforce of tomorrow, federal, state, and local officials across Central New York must also recognize the importance of improving the region’s physical appearance and immediately implement a comprehensive beautification campaign focused on certain gateways into the region, key interstate highway’s locations and road intersections, waterfront areas, and public parks. Furthermore, a commitment must be made to providing an ongoing financial base that is needed to maintain and grow a robust cultural arts and entertainment community in Central New York.

Maintain a strong network of county and regionally-based organizations with the capacity to coordinate the delivery of a range of economic development services, tax abatement, and financial assistance in Central New York.

It is important to note in today’s economic climate that many regions across the nation have formed dedicated economic development functions with full-time professional staff with responsibility for providing a range of services to support economic growth. In NYS, a cornerstone of this economic development structure are county and city based public benefit corporations established under the provisions of State law with the authority to issue taxable and tax-exempt bond financing, elimination of sales tax on materials and equipment used for manufacturing, and the establishment of payment-in-lieu-of-tax agreements for the management of real property taxes and the elimination of mortgage recording taxes. In addition to these statutory powers, these organizations and related legal partners provide a range of other economic development services including performing liaison functions with the local business community, providing access to financial incentives and job training resources at the federal, state, and local level, and assisting businesses with the identification and development of real estate assets.

In Central New York, these organizations include the Auburn Industrial Development Agency, Cayuga County Industrial Development Agency, Cortland County Industrial Development Agency, Madison County Industrial Development Agency, the City of Syracuse and the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agencies, and the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency. Complimenting these county-based organizations is a network of organizations that operate on a regional basis in Central New York. These organizations include the NYS Department of Economic Development/Empire State Development, NYS Department of Labor, U.S. Small Business Administration, National Grid, CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity, Manufacturers Association of Central New York, CNY Technology Development Organization, and the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board.

As noted above, Central New York is well-served by the current economic development structure in the region. To further capitalize on these assets, resources should be directed toward using the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council, CenterState CEO, and the CNY RPDB as forums to help coordinate local development efforts and inform municipal officials across the region. In addition, these organizations can serve as vehicles for coordinating efforts to maintain a comprehensive economic development strategy for the region. As part of this effort, consideration should be given to periodically convening meetings of industry representatives and a local “economic expert” roundtable to review economic data, resources, and opportunities for economic development in CNY. In addition, current state and local regulatory policy must be maintained to ensure that local development agencies have a sufficient revenue stream to maintain existing staff resources to perform the level of business outreach needed to properly inform and assist the local business community with support job creation and retention and general economic growth. Furthermore, additional federal, state, and local financial resources must be provided to local and regional development organizations so that certain discretionary programs can be implemented across the region. These programs include entrepreneurial development, export marketing, venture capital assistance, workforce training, business recruitment, and real estate development. Attention should also be directed to regularly evaluating utility rate structures and local incentive programs to ensure they align with evolving economic development objectives, community needs, and competition in the marketplace.

Major organizations with a capacity to implement this strategy include the NYS Empire State Development, CenterState CEO, CNY RPDB, and county- and city-based industrial development agencies.

Support the operation of a coordinated and robust business retention and expansion program in Central New York.

Beyond organizational initiatives, a great deal of attention is paid today to work that can be done at the federal, state, regional, and local level to support economic growth through an organized business retention and expansion program. While often undervalued as a strategy for economic development, business retention and expansion (BR&E) is nevertheless among the most common elements of a comprehensive economic development program. According to the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), two-thirds of all economic development organizations in the nation have BR&E programs, while less than half have business attraction programs.

There is a common adage in economic development that it is far easier to retain an existing employer than to recruit a new one. In fact, research has shown that most new jobs are created by existing businesses in a community rather than those relocating from elsewhere. In today’s global marketplace, with industries rapidly consolidating and economic developers competing to lure new companies to their communities, business retention is even more important as part of an economic development strategy. Business retention and expansion programs typically include a wide variety of activities undertaken to retain and facilitate the growth of local businesses. The “tools” used in BR&E are many of the same items found in the recruitment toolbox: financial assistance, workforce training, information on available sites or buildings, assistance with permitting and licensing, export, marketing and procurement assistance, and so on. In some cases, the economic development organization (EDO) can provide services directly; in other instances, the EDO serves as a broker between the company and the source(s) of the assistance.

Because the services provided are based on the needs of the customer, BR&E depends heavily on a customer service orientation. Successful BR&E must begin with an effective outreach program to assess the needs, priorities, and concerns of individual businesses in cooperation with company owners and managers. Based upon an analysis of numerous BR&E programs across the country and a review of the available resources and work that is being done in Central New York, specific attention must be given to the following actions:

Convene workshops of local “economic experts” to review issues, resources, and opportunities for economic development in the region +
Maintain a formal business outreach program at the county level that coordinates the delivery of services provided by various agencies to the small business community
Conduct formal outreach to various business service providers such as bankers, lawyers, and accountants to identify business development opportunities and needs in the region
Complete a detailed inventory and contact list for major development projects/business opportunities in Upstate New York—Fort Drum, Albany Nanotech, Global Foundries, Turning Stone that may represent business development opportunities for local companies
Support entrepreneurial initiatives and business networking forums at area colleges
Support regional and statewide efforts to foster formal relationships with venture capital providers and angel investors to support entrepreneurial development in the region
Maintain a competitive business incentive and small business loan program across the five-county region
Build on the region’s selection to participate in Brookings Institute Metropolitan Export Initiative and broadly promote access to federal and state export assistance programs through a one-stop export assistance center in CNY. Resources available to support this effort include those available at the federal level through the U.S. Department of Commerce – International Trade Administration, U.S. Small Business Administration, and CenterState CEO.

Maximize the region’s human capital by improving the alignment of workforce supply and employment demand in the region.

The availability of a trained or trainable workforce may be one of the most crucial ingredients in any decision by today’s business community to expand or relocate. The development of specialized skills is an expensive undertaking for any company and the availability of a pool of workers ready to be productive is a major attraction for local and relocating firms alike. Having such a workforce is a key to the region’s ability to participate in the dynamic and highly competitive regional, national, and international economies of today. There are two essential challenges in this area including keeping a viable local labor pool available as the population ages, and providing the right type of training at the right time for this workforce.

In evaluating its workforce training resources, it is important to note that Central New York is well-served by a strong K-12 public school system, three community colleges, and several four year colleges and universities. These institutions include Syracuse University, SUNY Upstate Medical University, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Colgate University, Cazenovia College, Wells College, Le Moyne College, and SUNY Colleges at Cortland, Morrisville, and Oswego. Complementing these resources is a network of county-based job training and local workforce investment agencies formed across the region under the provisions of the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA). These organizations provide a single point of entry for bringing together businesses, job seekers, and training providers with the goal of providing skilled workers for every business and employment for every job seeker in the community.

In accordance with the WIA, counties are required to form local Workforce Investment Boards to facilitate a partnership approach to meeting the needs of business, providing career opportunities for workers, and assuring meaningful education and employment experiences for youth. Board composition must align with the structure of the region’s economy and include representation from business, education, organized labor, government, employment & training, economic development and community-based organizations. Workforce Investment Boards are required to develop plans that evaluate their community’s economic conditions, workforce needs, and systems for the delivery of employment and training services. These plans are designed to help direct resources to key career counseling programs, workforce training needs, and job placement services in a community. Utilizing the information that is drawn from these plans, it is apparent that several ideas should be advanced in Central New York to help ensure that the region has sufficient labor resources to support economic growth across a range of industrial sectors. These recommendations include:

The development of a web-based information portal that has a comprehensive inventory of the vocation and technology education programs currently being offered by the education institutions in Central New York. As part of this outreach effort, as series of case studies can be prepared to demonstrate how certain training programs in CNY have been used by area employers to meet their workforce needs.
One of the greatest challenges confronting companies today is to generate the capital resources needed to train existing and new employees on new equipment and advances in production processes which must be brought into the workplace to meet the competition in the marketplace. In most cases, these training costs cannot be financed through traditional lending institutions and must be addressed through internal cash flow resources. However, in today’s economic environment, many companies are unable to generate these resources and, therefore, a regional training grant program must be capitalized in Central New York. Such a program should be targeted to small businesses that are net wealth generators for their community with the capacity for employment growth.

In addition to addressing current employment needs, local academic institutions should be challenged to help finance a study that would focus on identifying local training needs based on anticipated changes in the marketplace and future employment opportunities. Such initiatives have been successfully undertaken in communities to address workforce needs such as those related to semi-conductor manufacturing and nanotechnology, operation of nuclear power facilities, health care, and developments related to alternative energy supplies such as the installation of solar photovoltaic systems and wind towers. To be useful, this study would need to evaluate marketplace activities and identify business opportunities and training needs that might be applicable in CNY
According to local business representatives, one of the greatest challenges they are confronted with in recruiting new employees is a general lack of knowledge of existing career opportunities and current business practices in the workplace. This issue is often highlighted by local manufacturing companies where public perception has not kept abreast of the job opportunities and modern working conditions which exists at many facilities in CNY. To address this issue, a public education and outreach program needs to be implemented in CNY. This program could include public service announcements, a formal career-awareness campaign in area K-12 schools and colleges and universities, and a coordinated internship program for high school graduates and college level students.
Supporting the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County’s proposal to establish the STEAM at Syracuse Central High School, as a regional resource to support the training in the arts, unmanned aerial systems, robotics and automation controls, advanced manufacturing processes, construction management, and business entrepreneurship.

To assist with this effort communities must look to their major economic development organizations based at the regional and county level. In addition, resources are available from the NYS Department of Labor, local workforce investment boards and job training agencies, and career training centers at area colleges and universities.

Encourage the growth of a strong entrepreneurial culture in Central New York that will strengthen the region’s economy through new venture formation and product development activities.

In recent years, many communities across the country have undertaken efforts to expand their traditional economic development programs beyond business retention and recruitment to include initiatives that support the development of an entrepreneurial culture in their communities.

Entrepreneurship is the act and art of bringing new products and services things into the marketplace. This action may lead to the formation new companies or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response to a perceived opportunity. According to Paul Reynolds, entrepreneurship scholar and creator of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, by the time they reach their retirement years, half of all working men in the United States probably have a period of self-employment of one or more years; one in four may have engaged in self-employment for six or more years. Participating in a new business creation is a common activity among U.S. workers over the course of their careers. And in recent years it has been documented by scholars to be a major driver of economic growth in both the United States and Western Europe. Entrepreneurial activities are substantially different depending on the type of organization and creativity involved. Entrepreneurship ranges in scale from solo projects (even involving the entrepreneur only part-time) to major undertakings creating many job opportunities. Many kinds of organizations now exist to support would-be entrepreneurs including specialized government agencies, business incubators, science parks, and some NGOs. Many “high value” entrepreneurial ventures seek venture capital or angel funding (seed money) in order to raise capital to build the business.

In Central New York, communities have come to recognize that small business growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation are key elements to transitioning the local economy to a sustainable future. To encourage this transition, organizations have been working to develop certain community-based assets to support entrepreneurship in the region. These initiatives include the establishment of a network of business incubator facilities and small business financing programs across the region. In addition, funding has been secured from the Kauffman Foundation to establish a formal entrepreneurship program at Syracuse University resulting in 165 campus-community projects that infuse entrepreneurship at the grass roots level throughout CNY. The program includes partnerships with Cayuga Community College, Le Moyne College, Morrisville State College, Onondaga Community College, and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and

Forestry. Other initiatives being advanced in Central New York include formation of the Clean Tech Center and the Innovation and Disruptive Entrepreneurship Accelerator Student Sandbox program at the Syracuse Technology Garden, streamlining small business services through the NYS Small Business Development Center, and construction of the Syracuse Center of Excellence, and the Central New York Biotechnology Accelerator Center, a partnership between Upstate Medical University and the SUNY ESF.

The region is also home to SU Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship, the Southside Innovation Center, and the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. The region has also gained national recognition for programs like Start-Up NY, a partnership between the Whitman School of Management and the Burton Blatt Institute at SU, pioneering work through SU’s acclaimed Near Westside Initiative, the Stardust Entrepreneurial Institute in Auburn, SUNY Morrisville’s Nelson Farms food incubator, the CNY Technology Development Organization’s Small Business Innovation Research Outreach Program, and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s comprehensive training programs.

Building a robust innovation ecosystem is a key component to driving ideas, new technologies, products, and services to the marketplace. To capitalize on these opportunities for job creation, the region must build on its current work and ensure that all of the necessary resources are in place to help ensure that new ventures grow into viable enterprises in CNY. To build a truly world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem existing programs must be supplemented by several actions including:

Building a pipeline of new and emerging ventures through aggressive business attraction efforts and by facilitating the transition of research activities into product development and commercialization
Foster student entrepreneurship through ongoing mentorship programs at area academic institutions and the Syracuse Student Sandbox program
Develop additional physical and virtual incubation space that fosters the interaction of ideas and new partnerships in a setting that is supportive and affordable to new venture companies + Develop formal programs and networks that improve local access to early stage seed capital and venture capital resources
Expand new product commercialization assistance through specialized funding programs such as the NYS supported Grantsfor-Growth program administered by CenterState CEO and the SU COE Commercialization Assistance Program
Build mentor networks consisting of subject matter experts and entrepreneurs-in- residence that can provide guidance regarding business plan development, venture formation, pathto-market, technology roadmap, business modeling and funding strategies, procurement, contracting, and market access assistance
Connect entrepreneurs with market leaders to beta-test new products and technologies through programs like Tech Meet-Up, special events, and workshops and conferences
Establish a Bridge NY program to build a pipeline of deal-ready companies that can be introduced to investors in financial centers in NYC and Boston

Resources are available to assist with the implementation of this strategy through CenterState CEO, the CNY Technology Development Organization, Syracuse Center of Excellence, and the Syracuse Technology Garden.

Support the region’s industry concentrations through investment of resources in targeted research initiatives, capital funding, infrastructure, and workforce training programs.

In planning for a sustainable future, development representatives in Central New York have identified several critical industry concentrations that can help form the basis for economic growth in the region. These sectors represent a cross-section of traditional and new economy companies and share five common criteria including (1) these industries have a critical mass of companies and a large employment base in the region, (2) employment in these sectors is highly concentrated in CNY, (3) there is significant growth in the demand for the products and services provided by these companies on a regional, national, and global basis, (4) the region has the necessary infrastructure and human capital to support these industry clusters, and (5) certain companies in these industry clusters are closely aligned with the region’s major anchor institutions. Major industrial cluster in Central New York include advanced manufacturing, the clean energy and environmental systems, education and health care, biomedical services and biosciences, financial services, agribusiness and food processing, and tourism.

To capitalize on these industry concentrations, recommendations have been advanced to target resources in certain industry clusters with significant growth potential in CNY. In addition, proposals have been made to encourage cross industry collaborations through joint research and training initiatives. Suggestions have also been for business recruitment efforts that are focused on companies that can benefit from the industry concentration resources that currently exist in CNY. As part of this recruitment effort, it is recommended that attention be focused on the opportunities associated with plans by the Federal Aviation Administration to develop an unmanned vehicle training center in Central New York. Detailed ideas have also been advanced for specific industry clusters by utilizing the Syracuse Center of Excellence to showcase new products that are being brought to the marketplace by area companies. As part of this effort, new research and development labs are needed at the COE to demonstrate fuel-cell, combined heat and power systems, smart grid applications, photovoltaic and wind power generation equipment, and battery and energy power storage systems. In health care, proposals have been made to advance research initiatives at the new CNY Biotechnology Accelerator and the proposed St. Joseph’s Hospital –Welch Allyn Floor of the Future project. It is also recommended that the region ensure a better alignment of medical and bioscience services through several initiatives including programs such as a replication of iSciWNY program and the National Science Center, along with a formal health care education credentialing process.

In the area of financial services, data processing, and back-office operations, the region is well positioned to capitalize on a critical mass of companies, a competitive labor supply, and affordable real estate and operating cost. To realize these opportunities, it is recommended that the region continue a focused business outreach and marketing program in major metropolitan areas in the northeast. In addition, efforts should also be directed to ensure the proper alignment of education programming to keep pace with the latest developments in the industry. Also, it is recommended that investments be made in cyber-security research through cross-industry and university collaborations.

Regarding advanced manufacturing, it is strongly recommended that efforts be continued to complete development in Syracuse of a Nanotechnology Innovation and Commercialization Center to support the region’s advanced manufacturing, defense, radar, and sensor industries. In addition, it is recommended that efforts be directed to an industry sector supply chain usage and integration program along with an infrastructure investment initiative targeted to enhancing certain business parks and manufacturing sites in the region. Proposals have also been made for focused learning and training through new manufacturing certification programs and career ladder initiatives that address science, technology, engineering, and math education and training. In the area of agribusiness, targeted investments are recommended for food processors and the production of certain value-added agriculture products.

To advance the business development opportunities in the tourism sector, plans continue to be advanced for development of a tourism, entertainment, and recreation district in the Syracuse Lakefront Area, development of athletic team sports complexes in Cortland, Onondaga, and Oneida, The Rev Theatre Co. in Auburn, Harriet Tubman National Historic Park, Emerson Park festival center, Onondaga Lake Loop-the-lake trail, Empire State Trail, Greek Peak resort, NOAA Eastern Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, and Oswego/Salmon River Corridor sportfishing industry. More broadly, ideas include implementation of a comprehensive tourism marketing plan, coordinated packaging, signage, event planning, and gateway beautification program. Recommendations were also made for engaging local businesses and business groups in a regional convention center attraction campaign and in efforts to promote a regional brand identity for Central New York.

Coordinate implementation of a comprehensive regional marketing and business recruitment program.

While a comprehensive business retention and expansion program must be a cornerstone to a region’s economic development program, data provided by various site location experts suggest that resources should also be directed to a targeted business recruitment program. In trying to recruit a company to a community, officials must have some understanding of the global stress factors that are impacting companies today and how these factors may influence a company’s decision to expand or relocate their operations to a new community. In reviewing these factors, considerable attention must be focused on high-growth industries and the potential to capitalize on certain industry clusters which exist in Central New York. In addition, communities must recognize that the site selection process typically begins on an international or national level today, transitions into a regional and state search, before finally focusing on a set of recommendations regarding potential host communities. While surprising to many, the site selection process is often characterized as a process of elimination that places a premium on communities being “ready-for-development” long before prospect interest is ever known to a community.

Given its strategic location, strong population and labor force base, and the availability of a well-developed infrastructure system, site location consultants and corporate real estate executives have indicated that the region could benefit from a business recruitment program that is carefully targeted to certain industry sectors including advanced manufacturing, food processing, information and financial back-office services, data processing centers, pharmaceuticals, and warehouse and distribution centers. In making this recommendation, emphasis was placed on the number of major food processing companies with corporate headquarters in New York City and existing processing facilities in the State. Also noted were the opportunities associated with recruiting business from companies looking to move back-office operations out of high-cost metropolitan areas in the northeast. An example of this opportunity is the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation operations that are currently located in the Syracuse and Utica areas. Another example is the 184,000 sf Yahoo data center established in the Buffalo region.

Recommendations have also been provided which suggest the region has an opportunity to capitalize on the growth of the advanced manufacturing semiconductor industry cluster that is developing along the NYS Thruway corridor in the Albany region with the location of a major GlobalFoundries center in Saratoga County that consists of 1.7 million square feet of manufacturing and research space, and plans are underway by Wolfspeed/Cree to construct a major new semiconductor manufacturing facility in the Utica- Rome area. Complementing these projects are plans to host a major semiconductor manufacturer in Onondaga County at the 1,200-acre White Pine Commerce Park in the Town of Clay. Further complementing the State’s semiconductor industry cluster initiative are plans for a fourth major development site along the NYS Thruway corridor with a location in Genesee County in western New York.

It is suggested that such a business recruitment program consist of several elements including direct coordination and consultation with the NYS Empire State Development – Strategic Business Division. In addition, the region should maintain a close working relationship with selected site location consultants across the nation, particularly those individuals and companies that have a focus area that is related to industry cluster strengths in CNY. To complement this outreach effort, staff operating on a regional basis should afford themselves of the opportunity to participate in selected national forums and trade association meeting sponsored by the site location consultant community and selected industry sectors. As part of this effort, an accurate data base must be maintained for the region so that information can be made available to business prospects in a timely manner. This effort should include the preparation and maintenance of a comprehensive real estate site profile database for the region.

Support development of the Advanced Manufacturing Smart Systems Cluster in Central New York – “Fourth Industrial Revolution”

Over the past five years, Central New York has advanced several initiatives that have the potential to lay the foundation for the growth of a major economic cluster in the region. These initiatives include work to development the 1,200-acre White Pine Commerce Park in the Onondaga County Town of Clay. This site is desiged to be the host site for a major semiconductor manufacturing company that will be recruited to the region. This company is projected to invest $15-$20 billion in a new facility and create 5,000 jobs. Complementing this project has been the region’s success in developing an FAA approved unmanned aerial system testing site in CNY. This testing site will provide the basis to the development of the Center City Innovation Hub, Southside Campus for a new economy, and the New York Center for Smart Cities-5G Systems.