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2022 29th Edition: February 7 - February 11 |
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If at First You Don't Succeed
The list of the many political, business and civic leaders who have tirelessly worked to make the promise of Stewart Airport into a reality over the years is long indeed. The reasons why this dream has remained for the most part unrealized are also large in number. It has not been for the lack of effort I tell you. And while it would have been easy to just get frustrated and move on, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Orange County Partnership, the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, and other key stakeholders stayed the course despite the many obstacles, including a worldwide pandemic.
In a story in this newsletter, we detail the positive economic news coming out of New York Stewart International Airport in 2022—two new international carriers launching service there this year and a new effort by the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, the Orange County Partnership, and OC Tourism to promote the merits of the airport for business and personal use to augment the marketing program in place by the Port Authority.
While cargo activity at the airport has always been brisk, there have been many fits and starts at the airport in respect to air passenger travel. Back in 2007, the Port Authority acquired Stewart Airport and since then has invested well over $200 million on significant upgrades, including most recently $30 million for the U.S. Customs facility to accommodate international travelers.
Business was booming at Stewart only five years ago when passenger volumes rose 62%, due in large part to the success of low-cost international carrier Norwegian Air. In 2017, nearly 450,000 commercial airline passengers used Stewart International Airport, including 141,000 international fliers, fueled in large part by the launch of service by Norwegian Air. The 2017 passenger levels at the airport were up from approximately 275,000 total passengers from a year earlier.
In 2018, the Port Authority rebranded the airport to New York Stewart International Airport in the hopes of increasing activity and carriers at the airport. Then, two body blows turned everything around.
In August 2019, due to the problems with its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, Norwegian Air halted air service from Stewart as part of a plan to end all its transatlantic flights between Ireland and North America. Then came the coronavirus, which caused most air travel to grind to a halt worldwide. Some carriers were forced to stop service altogether at Stewart.
Of late, a number of passenger air carriers have returned and some have added new destinations. Now, with the pending launch of service by two new carriers, the airport will once again be true to its name: New York Stewart International Airport.
With COVID infections on the decline, let’s hope that some normalcy will take hold soon that will foster increased business and passenger travel and restart the economic engine many believe still exists at Stewart.
My very best,
Maureen Halahan
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A TRIBUTE TO A GREAT LEADER,
BUSINESSMAN & FRIEND
Mark Wienberg
April 16, 1962 – January 10, 2022
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On Monday, January 10th, our community lost a fine leader at the young age of 59.
Mark Wienberg, Managing Partner of Stone Road Energy, served as a Board Director at the Orange County Partnership since February 2016. During his tenure, Mark proved to be a strategic thinker and visionary who was devoted to the cause of economic development in Orange County. Mark was brilliant, innovative and creative.
Mark was a genuinely warm and wonderful individual, always with a smile, an infectious laugh, and a positive attitude. He will be sorely missed but his memory will live on.
On behalf of the Partnership Board of Directors, we send our condolences to his family and thank him for his service.
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Walgreen's mico-fulfillment site - Route 300, Newburgh - Photo Credit: Petillo New York, Inc. |
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Economic Development at its Best: Walgreens Looks to Invest in Newburgh |
Representatives of Walgreens, code name “Project Nucleus,” came to the Orange County Partnership recently seeking assistance navigating local government and incentives for a proposed micro fulfillment center in Orange County. Walgreens had a stringent timeline so it was imperative that the Partnership act quickly.
The Orange County Partnership took a full assessment of Walgreens’ needs and delved into every detail of the project from start to finish, says Kaitlynn Lancellotti, Director of Business Attraction and Expansion for the Orange County Partnership. She noted that Walgreens officials detailed their project plans in the Town of Newburgh that would have significant economic benefits for the town and the county.
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2022 Starts Off Great for NY Stewart International Airport |
The New Year has started on a very high note for New York Stewart International Airport as a new advocacy group has been formed to help market the merits of traveling and doing business at the New Windsor-based airport and several new international carriers have announced plans to begin service there.
A new coalition has been formed to promote air travel and enhanced passenger service at New York Stewart International Airport, which is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The coalition is headed by Heather Bell, president of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. The group will also include Orange County Partnership President and CEO, Maureen Halahan, and Director of Tourism and Film for Orange County, Amanda Dana.
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Tin Barn Brewing - Sugar Loaf, NY |
Shepard's Eye Brewing Company - Florida, NY |
Fox N' Hare Brewing Co. - Port Jervis, NY |
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Investors are Thirsty for Craft Brewing in Orange County |
Although this sector’s growth may have slowed somewhat due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the craft beverage industry is booming in New York State and Orange County.
The New York State Craft Brewers Association reported that in 2018 there were approximately 20,000 full-time jobs created by the craft beer industry. A total of 1.2 million barrels of craft beer were produced and the economic impact of this sector, on the state economy, was an impressive $3.4 billion.
The New York State Economic Development Corp. has more current numbers (2021) on its website, which indicate there are 1,288 licensed craft beverage manufacturers and 897 farm licensed manufacturers in New York State. New York State’s roster of craft beverage manufacturers includes: 450 wineries, 462 breweries, 186 distilleries and 72 cideries. The total economic impact of the craft beverage industry in New York State is, according to the latest estimates, $5.4 billion. New York State ranks No. 4 in the nation for number of wineries, No. 2 in the nation for number of breweries and No. 3 in the U.S. in wine production and number of distilleries, according to the ESD.
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Orange County IDA CEO Promises Greater Transparency |
In response to last year’s scandal, the new leadership of the Orange County Industrial Development Agency has promised to restore public trust in the organization this year by enacting a number of reform policies.
IDA Chief Executive Officer Bill Fioravanti in an article in the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtor’s newspaper Real Estate In-Depth discussed the reforms already put in place and the agency’s commitment to promoting greater transparency in its operations. Fioravanti had served as the interim IDA Executive Director before being appointed to the permanent CEO post in the fall of last year.
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Orange County IDA CEO Bill Fioravanti |
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Distribution and logistics projects will again dominate the headlines in 2022 |
Remote working has become a permanent part of the new workplace landscape |
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Site Selection Trends Point to Suburban Preference |
Ron Starner, Executive Vice President of Conway Inc., in an article in Site Selection Magazine, says that site selectors across the country are once again predicting that supply-chain tightening, remote working and worker shortages will continue in 2022 and that other trends exacerbated by the global pandemic will become even more pronounced this year.
Based on a Site Selection survey this past November, Starner lists “Seven Signs of a New Site Selection Reality.” Among the most notable trends that will continue in 2022 that could impact Orange County include:
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NY Office of Cannabis Management to Hold Virtual Conversation with Mid-Hudson Region on Feb. 16 |
Another rapidly growing sector in the Orange County economy is the cannabis industry, particularly after The Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA) was signed into law in March 2021. An upcoming webinar series will put a spotlight on this emerging industry that has already produced significant economic benefits for Orange County.
New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management is holding a series of virtual community outreach events—"Cannabis Conversations”—across the state that began on Jan. 27.
These 11 virtual meetings will be hosted by Cannabis Control Board Chair, Tremaine Wright. The first meeting was with Western New York and the remaining regions will follow through the middle of February. An additional statewide event will be held in Spanish on Feb. 21.
The virtual meeting with the Mid-Hudson region is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 16 beginning at 6 p.m.
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The Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council (MHREDC) has put together a highly informative webinar series for organizations and businesses to learn about workforce best practices and resources to help attract, retain and develop talent.
You can find a list of the webinars below and also on the MHREDC website.
The Orange County Partnership, which is a member of the MHREDC, strongly recommends you register to attend webinars of interest and please share with your networks so businesses throughout the Mid-Hudson can learn more about these valuable resources and best practices!
On Friday, Feb. 4, the second of the webinar series entitled Mid-Hudson Workforce Solutions: NYS Workforce Development Funding discussed several state funding programs to support workforce development efforts. The funding programs included the Empire State Development's Employee Training Incentive Program; the SUNY Workforce Development Training Grant / Contract Courses; the NYS Department of Labor Workforce Development Initiative Program and the NYSERDA Clean Energy Workforce Development.
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THANK YOU TO OUR E-NEWSLETTER SPONSOR: |
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How the Wage Theft Bill is Changing the Construction Industry in 2022 |
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Susan Howell
Partner
RBT CPAs
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The New Year brings with it new opportunities for growth, new projects to begin, and also, new laws to follow. In 2021, New York State passed legislation that went into effect earlier this month, which shifts liability to general contractors for wage theft cases on private construction projects.
Up until now, construction contractors weren’t liable for their subcontractors’ employees' wages unless there was an employment relationship between the contractor and the employee of the subcontractor. But this law, which went into effect on Jan. 4th, 2022, makes contractors on construction projects jointly liable for wages owed to employees of their subcontractors. It also allows contractors to demand payroll information from subcontractors and withhold payment if the information is not provided. The law exempts home-improvement contractors except for the construction of more than 10 one- or two-family owner/occupied dwellings.
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Garnet Health Medical Center Recognized in International Journal for Developmentally Disabled Persons Vaccination Effort |
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Middletown, NY - Garnet Health Medical Center, formerly Orange Regional Medical Center, is pleased to announce that its drive-through vaccination clinic for developmentally disabled persons has been recognized in the international journal, Vaccine.
“This incredible effort reached a population that would not have easily received vaccinations due to their special requirements,” said Garnet Health Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Pamela Murphy. “I commend our drive-through vaccination team for its commitment to quality healthcare and our community.”
In partnership with the Medical Director of the Hudson Valley Department of Developmental Disabilities Services Offices, Dr. Bruce Reidenberg, the drive-through vaccination clinic, provided by Garnet Health Medical Center in early 2021, included Dr. Murphy; Registered Nurse, Chris Costello; and Pharmacists Maria Russo and Michael Reilly. The team averaged approximately 13 vaccinations per hour with two four-hour vaccination clinics provided in early 2021. The team assembled a curbside vaccination center on the Hospital’s campus making it easy for the patients to access care despite their limiting conditions. All paper work was prepared and submitted in advance and observation was accomplished by Dr. Murphy who rotated around active parking spaces during patients’ 15 minute post-vaccination observation period.
About Garnet Health Medical Center
Garnet Health Medical Center, formerly known as Orange Regional Medical Center, is a state-of-the-art, 383-bed medical center which combines high-tech healthcare with a patient-centered approach in a beautiful and welcoming healing environment. Garnet Health Medical Center is accredited by DNV GL – Healthcare. It was named by Healthgrades as one of the 100 best hospitals nationally for cardiac intervention and General Surgery and was a recipient of the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™. Garnet Health Medical Center also achieved the Healthgrades 2019, 2020 and 2021 America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award™ placing the hospital in the top 5 percent of more than 4,500 hospitals assessed nationwide for its superior clinical performance. Garnet Health Medical Center was named by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Regional Hospital in the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh Metropolitan Area and high performing in seven types of care for 2021-22. Garnet Health Medical Center is a designated Magnet hospital recognizing excellence in Nursing; a recipient of the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite; and received the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) Digital Health Level 9 Most Wired recognition.
Garnet Health Medical Center is an Academic Affiliate of the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. It is also a member of Garnet Health, the corporate parent of Garnet Health Medical Center, Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills, Garnet Health Doctors, Garnet Health Urgent Care, Garnet Health Foundation, and Garnet Health Foundation – Catskills. Garnet Health was recognized by Ethisphere as one of the 2019 World’s Most Ethical Companies. To learn more about Garnet Health Medical Center, visit garnethealth.org
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