2020 5th Edition: May 11 - May 15
Charting a Path to Future Prosperity


Dear Orange County Partnership Investors & Supporters,

Let’s face it, we’ve been through a lot. We miss human contact and the freedoms that we take for granted. A car ride, a hike, sitting in the sun or doing projects around our homes have provided satisfaction, but it’s all overshadowed by health concerns and our uncertain economic future.
 
The closer we get to re-opening, the more reckless we tend to become and less patient. But, we have to stay well and follow safe practices. Everything we do moving forward will be dictated by the numbers of new hospitalizations, hospital deaths, hospital beds available, hot spots, etc., etc. If we blow it, we go back into isolation and not only will there be unrest, the economic impacts attached to a second shut down are unimaginable.
 
In this publication, we share an article on the official announcement of Governor Cuomo’s plan to open the three upstate regions. (see: Three Upstate Regions Likely to Begin Reopening on Friday ).

Now more than ever, companies are focusing on two equally important factors, the safety of their employees and business continuity.
 
We continue to hear that companies are having a hard time hiring the people they need or bringing back some of those who have been furloughed or laid-off. Between the enhanced unemployment benefits and the stimulus package, some workers are making more by staying home. It seems hard to believe as the unemployment rate keeps climbing and jobs become scarce that some will pass up full time employment for temporary unemployment, but for now, we have to focus on what’s within our control.
 
Even well-structured companies with strategic plans and specific policies in place to prepare for change during times of crisis are pivoting weekly. Managing and protecting your talent will be your greatest challenge and ultimately will pay the greatest dividends.
 
Your business comeback plan will likely focus on safety, control, stability and more back-up plans. There’s comfort in the knowledge that we’re not alone. Every person and every business are going through this period of restructuring at the same time. We will have a new pool of talent to choose from where just 12 short weeks ago we were at our lowest unemployment in more than 50 years. Motivated people will be eager to get back to work and they will be grateful for jobs. Our organizations should be working together with everyone at the table, communicating, planning and taking ownership for success. It’s a fight for survival and leaders will begin to emerge. Short term, team-based goals, focused on small incremental victories will add up over time. As confidence builds and normalcy returns, longer-term strategic planning can take place.
 
Organizations that come out of a crisis stronger most often have leaders who focus on operations and how they engage employees. They are nimble, flexible and focused on engaging, rewarding and retaining their people.
 
No one has all the answers as we move through these uncharted waters, but together we can find new levels of success. 
 
Victories to Build Upon:
 
Currently in Orange County, two of the largest buildings in our history are under way creating hundreds of construction jobs and full-time positions. (see story: Two of the Largest Commercial Projects in Orange County History Begin Construction ). Smart planning, good brokering, persistent developers, savvy consultants and motivated corporations invested millions of dollars and thousands of hours to make it happen.
 
After speaking with municipal leaders, most of whom have to make up millions of dollars in revenue shortfalls, we can expect a greater willingness on a local level to bring worthy projects to fruition. One project alone can save countless small businesses from going under. We have to get projects up and running to kick-start our economy. Every municipality is in dire need of ratables and jobs. Municipal boards need to work together to get applications through the process quickly and conversely applicants need to hire the right consultants to ensure they are prepared.
 
The market for logistics, e-commerce, distribution and manufacturing is exploding. (see article: Report Suggests Logistics Sector Will Get Even Stronger in Years to Come ).
 
We are being approached by more and more workforce housing developers as people want to leave densely populated urban areas for a safer more affordable place to raise their families. In addition, the talent that we have here, needs to stay here. Especially now. Towns that embrace such opportunities boldly will beat out those that wait.
 
It’s going to be up to each and every individual to keep our communities safe. If we act responsibly, work tirelessly and creatively there’s hope for a prosperous and healthy future.  



My very best,

Maureen Halahan

President & CEO
Orange County Partnership


Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a COVID-19 briefing held earlier this week.
Three Upstate Regions Likely to Begin Reopening on Friday; Heroes Act Would Provide $500B to States
Earlier this week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his daily COVID-19 briefing gave a preview of the likely regions that will be allowed to start a phased re-opening of their economies, noting that the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley regions have met all the necessary metrics to allow the process to begin there on Friday.


Two of the Largest Commercial Projects in Orange County History Begin Construction
Site work has commenced on two of the largest warehouse-distribution facilities ever to be built in Orange County.

The two build-to-suit developments in Montgomery for Amazon and Medline, involve nearly 2.3 million square feet of new construction totaling nearly $200 million in investment.

Medline Rendering
Source: CBRE U.S. MarketFlash, Post-Coronavirus Industrial Real Estate,
March 23, 2020
Report Suggests Logistics Sector Will Get Even Stronger in Years to Come
Orange County, which was already a very strong warehouse/distribution/logistics market prior to the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic with two major facilities now under construction for Amazon and Medline Industries, Inc., will no doubt benefit in the years to come from the significant changes taking place in consumer behavior that is causing a strain on inventory levels and supply chains.

Companies May Choose Suburban Markets in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
A recently released report by REIS Real Estate Solutions by Moody’s Analytics suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic will prompt some companies to “reimagine” their office holdings and decrease, and even in some cases significantly reduce, their office space portfolios.

Office SF Usage per Office-Using Employee
Source: Moody's Analytics REIS
Orange County Businesses Receive More Than $200M in Paycheck Protection Program Funding
Orange County announced recently that county businesses have received or are expected to receive more than $200 million from the first and second rounds of the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that will help save approximately 20,000 at-risk jobs in the county.

Archaeology & Historic Resource Services, LLC (AHRS)   is the Cultural Resource Consultant on the project to fulfill the NY State Historic Preservation Office requirements for the Arnott-Haber House. If you are not familiar, the Arnott-Haber House is an historic house located on the Amazon site. Preservation is underway and in a couple of weeks the house will be moved 60 feet from the new road. AHRS is assisting with documenting the phases of the relocation of the house, its historic and significant and preparing a rehabilitation plan. They are working closely with Bluewater Industrial Partners, StandBack General Contractors, Minuta Architecture, Signal Restoration and Nicholas Brothers on this project. Once complete the house will be listed by a local broker to be used as a commercial property. 
The following companies have job opportunities
available immediately.

Takasago International Corporation is a major international producer of flavours and fragrances with clean working conditions and opportunity for advancement.  Apply Here







President Container Group centrally located in the Town of Wallkill, is one of the largest manufacturers of corrugated boxes in North America. Their state-of-the-art facility produces in excess of 2.4 billion square feet of corrugated products each year. Apply Here
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc, numerous companies & local leaders have stepped up to assist our community. We'd like to recognize and keep you apprised of private businesses that are creatively supporting our community during these challenging times.


Between working remotely for her clients, Deborah Garry, President & CEO of BBG&G Full-Service Integrated Marketing Agency  decided she needed to help. So far she has made about six dozen face masks and distributed them to Crystal Run Healthcare, Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties as well as friends and family members. Her home “factory” consists of her sewing machine, an ironing board and a work table raised up on four bed risers left over from her sons’ college dorm days.
 
Walden Savings Bank  completed its 22 Days of Giving campaign and donated $11,000 in bank-matched employee donations to 32 community members and organizations helping those in need.
 
Clemson Bros. Brewery  set up a Small Business Relief Fund and donated $10,000 of their own money to the cause. They are also accepting donations from the community to go towards the fund to help small businesses throughout the Hudson Valley.
 
The Keller Williams –Chris Scibelli Team  is stepping up in a major way to help. As a team they have agreed to give back 5% of earnings (based on commissions earned from the sale or purchase of any home) from now until August 31, 2020. The money they will be giving back will be donated in their clients names to frontline workers in Orange County. Talk about a selfless act!

Milmar Food Group located in Goshen, donated 10,000 pounds of food to Orange County's Office for the Aging to benefit the county’s Senior Meals Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Servpro of North Orange County , a restoration facility located in Middletown, has been utilizing their services by helping our local first responders stay safe during the COVID-19 outbreak including disinfecting the City of Newburgh's patrol cars and sanitizing the Goodwill Fire House located in Newburgh at no cost. 

Moroney's Harley Davidson located in New Windsor, graciously donated head covers to local nurses, doctors and medical workers at Highland Rehab & Nursing Center in Middletown. 

Mount Saint Mary College in the City of Newburgh has donated more than 7,000 disposable gloves and hundreds of masks and gowns from its School of Nursing supplies to regional hospitals, retirement homes and even the temporary hospital at the Javits Center in Manhattan. The college sent about 5,000 gloves to Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh, 1,500 to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern in Rockland County, and 500 to Four Winds Hospital in Cross River in Westchester County.

Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery , in partnership with their sister business, Black Dirt Distillery have produced hand sanitizer for local hospitals and nursing homes throughout the region.

The Castle Fun Center , a popular family entertainment center in Chester, N.Y., is helping keep front-line healthcare workers safe by using its 3-D printer to manufacture components for face shields, a type of personal protection equipment in short supply. So far, more than 100 have been created; it will produce 500 to 1,000 or more, depending on the ongoing need.

From their home or classroom, local educators from Pine Bush Central School District , Minisink Valley Central School District and Goshen Central School Districts are creating face shields using 3-D printers as personal protective equipment for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Aurochemicals: The internationally recognized manufacturer of natural aroma ingredients in the flavor and fragrance industry, based in Washingtonville, has provided tens of thousands of hard-to-find surgical masks to protect healthcare and first-responder teams in the community. The company recently supplied Orange County Government with 50,000 surgical masks and provided 42,000 masks to Orange Regional Medical Center. 

Bonura Hospitality Group:  The wildly successful company, which owns and operates restaurants, catering halls and a hotel, has had to lay off more than 400 of their 1,000 employees during the pandemic. The family-owned business is making meals out of an otherwise closed facility to care for not only their employees but their families, providing a hot meals every day for curbside pickup.  

Konica Minolta and Laborers’ Local 17 LECET/Hudson Valley Building & Construction Trades Council have donated a number of N-95 and N-99 masks to nursing homes and first responders throughout Orange County.

SUNY Orange: In response to requests from healthcare facilities in Orange County fighting COVID-19 on the front lines, the leaders of SUNY Orange Health Professions Programs recently delivered a donation of 4,505 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items to the Newburgh campus of Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital.

DNA Entertainment hosted a live stream dance party and raised more than $6,000 to supply meals for workers around Orange County’s medical centers, nursing homes and urgent care facilities.

Fidanza Family Properties: The property, food and beverage management group based in Middletown, announced a food donation program for businesses who want to help supply meals to essential employees while on the job. Business can make a donation by ordering food from one of their restaurants (Pizza E Birra and Planet Wings) and the company will match that donation, up to $1,500 worth of food. To date, $2,0000 worth of food has been donated to the staff at Orange Regional Medical Center. To participate email: franco@planetwings.com .

Construction Contractors Association , Danskammer , Boyce Excavating and Focus Media were all instrumental in securing and donating to the emergency need of N-95 masks to protect medical workers from the Coronavirus.

Medline Industries , the nation’s largest privately-held healthcare manufacturer and distributor, has worked tirelessly with local hospitals and healthcare facilities to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) and has donated an abundance of supplies to the Town of Montgomery and Orange County.

Orange County Distillery was creative in turning a 55-gallon barrel of extremely high-proof spirits into hand sanitizer, which they gave out to Orange County residents for FREE.

Please help us recognize private-business leaders who are creatively contributing to the health and well-being of our community. Please share stories by emailing our Marketing Director, Sarah Brosnan to be included in next week's newsletter:


We are all in this together, the best of people come out
in the worst of times.

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