2023 41st Edition: May 8 - May 12

Focusing on the Fundamentals


Economic development at its very core is about driving commerce opportunities for communities. Economic Developers from every corner of the world know that community growth can be met with opposition and policy disagreement – at the local, state, and federal levels of government. However, the best economic development organizations across the globe rise above politics and discord and focus on one key variable above all else – attracting jobs to strengthen the economy. At the Orange County Partnership, we remain steadfast in our commitment to securing new investment, creating jobs, and stimulating the local economy.

 

Each week we’re seeing new leads in manufacturing, clean energy, and of late, semi-conductor production and microelectronics. In late April, we hosted a microelectronic company from Tiawian at the Partnership office to discuss a pathway to locate a manufacturing facility in Orange County. That same week, our Vice President, Conor Eckert, traveled to Albany to meet a Japanese delegation of semiconductor supply chain companies seeking to do business in the United States and New York. Our economic development opportunity is clear – microelectronics, foreign direct investment, and light manufacturing can be our future. In order to seize these opportunities, we must continue to support the economic development fundamentals: shovel ready site development and sound state and local economic policies that stimulate growth – not hinder it.

 

With exciting growth and opportunities on the horizon, we acknowledge that Orange County faces challenges that must be overcome. The projects and sectors that we’re actively recruiting are high-end – these companies work with sophisticated brokers and consultants. To maintain our momentum, it’s crucial that we, the economic development and construction community, remain aligned in our strategic goals to grow the county. 




My very best,


Maureen Halahan

President & CEO

Orange County Partnership's Vice President of Business Attraction, Conor Eckert

Orange County Partnership Refocuses Business Retention and Expansion Efforts

Recognizing that the needs of existing business in Orange County is critical to its economic future, the Orange County Partnership is undertaking a major campaign to contact the hundreds of businesses it has provided assistance to over the past 15 years or more to ascertain their current and future needs.

 

Conor Eckert, Senior Development Officer and Vice President of Business Attraction for the Orange County Partnership, said serving the needs of existing businesses in Orange County, whether those involve efforts to keep a company in the county, or help facilitate a company’s expansion and growth needs “is the backbone of economic development.” While the Business Retention and Expansion work may not garner the news coverage that a new company building a new facility in Orange County might attract; the retained and new jobs generated by Orange County-based businesses are vitally important as well.

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Orange County Partnership and SUNY Orange Look

To Enhance, Create Workforce Training Programs

With existing and new businesses in Orange County reporting the difficulty in attracting qualified workers for their operations, the Orange County Partnership has initiated discussions with top officials with SUNY Orange to expand its workforce development programs to help meet the need.

 

SUNY Chancellor John King in a visit to SUNY Orange’s Middletown campus on April 18, noted that SUNY is bolstering its workforce development programs as a means to deal with declining enrollments.


“There has really been a national phenomenon of declining enrollment in community colleges. At the same time, there are individual programs where there is tremendous demand; nursing is one good example. We have a huge shortage of nurses in the state as well as nationally. Many of our nursing programs have wait lists so we know if we can grow those programs where there is student demand we can grow enrollment,” SUNY Chancellor King said in a Mid-Hudson News report. “We also know we have two million New Yorkers who have some credits and no degree. We need to help those students to come back to college to finish their degree.”

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Dr. Kristine Young

SUNY Orange President

SUNY Orange Newburgh Campus

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus delivered his State of State of the County address on April 20th at the Orange County Chamber of Commerce meeting at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.

County Executive Steve Neuhaus Highlights Tourism,

Economic Development in State of the County Address

Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus delivered his official State of the County address on Wednesday, April 19th at the Emergency Services Center auditorium in Goshen. In his nearly hour-long presentation to county lawmakers, staff and others, Neuhaus highlighted a host of accomplishments and initiatives that included growth in economic development, jobs and tourism.

 

In his address he summarized the major facets of the county’s $827.2-million 2023 budget, including more than $70 million in funding earmarked for infrastructure, largely financed by federal government infrastructure monies.


Neuhaus also touted the lowest county tax rate since the 1960s and the fact that the county sales tax has dropped from 3.9% in 2014 when he first took office to 3.4% in 2022. In that same period, the county has reduced its debt by $12 million, despite building a new Government Center and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that the county’s property tax rate in 2022 was 29% lower than in 2014. Last year, the county generated $381 million in sales tax revenue.

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Orange County Partnership to Honor Nick Fitzpatrick

As Organization’s 2023 Most Valuable Partner on June 6

The Orange County Partnership has announced that local farmer and successful entrepreneur Nick Fitzpatrick, President of Aden Land Holdings of Montgomery, NY, is the economic development organization’s 2023 Most Valuable Partner.

 

Fitzpatrick, who leads the multifaceted family-run enterprise that includes Aden Brook (Farm), Aden Land Holdings, Aden Aggregates and the fast-growing Aden Logistics, will be honored by the Orange County Partnership on Tuesday, June 6 at the organization’s Annual Most Valuable Partner Breakfast beginning at 8 a.m. at The Barn at Villa Venezia in Middletown, NY.

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Nick Fitzpatrick, 2023 Most Valuable Partner Honoree

The Semiconductor Industry Association recently released a new U.S. Semiconductor Ecosystem Map, a tool that allows users to explore industry activities across the United States, including nearly 500 locations in 42 states. View the interactive map.

High Tech, Energy Sectors are Major Growth Markets for Orange County

Officials with the Orange County Partnership report that two key sectors it will focus on for new investment are the high-technology and clean energy-related industries.

 

With New York State embracing clean/green technology to power its energy needs in the future, the Orange County Partnership has seen increased interest from solar component, clean battery technology and offshore wind component parts manufacturers in establishing operations in the county.


Incentives from the federal Investment Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act are spurring investment in the clean energy and high-tech sectors respectively across the nation.

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It's Not About Challenges...It's About Solutions.

Business Retention & Expansion Program

Did you know the Orange County Partnership offers a FREE program to all industrial and commercial businesses in Orange County?


We as Economic Developers, work to retain and grow existing local companies and assist these businesses with operational needs.


Do you have retention issues? Are you interested in expanding your company? We can help!


Contact our BR&E Team today! Call 845.294.2323 or email Maureen Halahan: maureen@ocpartnership.org or Conor Eckert: conor@ocpartnership.org.

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