Looking to give Herkimer County a leg up when it comes to attracting business or industry from beyond its geographic boundaries, the county Industrial Development Agency may contract with a local firm to perform a comprehensive assessment of all that it has to offer.
“It’s a fast way to identify the county’s strengths and weaknesses and would give us an idea of where we have a need for improvement or an area to capitalize on new opportunities,” IDA Board of Directors Chairman John Piseck said Thursday. “The assessment would allow us to see the ‘big picture’ and then put our priorities in perspective to develop a long-term plan.”
Piseck said Utica-based Mohawk Valley Applied Technology Corporation recently completed an assessment for the company he works for, CTM Corporation, and that they are seeing benefits.
“The assessment looks at everything from financial records and statements to the education of your workforce,” he said. “In addition to performing the assessment, they also put you in contact with people looking to develop or relocate a business or industry, or people to do business with.”
Speculating on some of the positives that the assessment would turn up, Piseck said Herkimer County is debt free, has a low unemployment rate and has a college to provide workforce training.
“The county has a lot to offer businesses and industries, and this assessment would put all of our strengths together in a report-like format that we could use to focus our marketing plan,” he said.
The cost of the assessment would be approximately $2,000, said Piseck, adding representatives from Mohawk Valley Applied Technology Corporation will be asked to attend a future meeting of the IDA Board of Directors to provide a formal presentation on their services.
“We would be the first county to receive this service from Mohawk Valley Applied Technology, and that is another reason why I feel we should go forward with the assessment,” said Piseck. “To be the first would set us apart from other the counties New York state and would give us a leg up on them when it comes to attracting high technology and manufacturing businesses to our business parks.”
“It’s a great idea and it’s a very good price,” said Anthony Casale, whose Cooperstown-based firm was hired to provide the IDA with marketing and public affairs services. “The assessment in and of itself is would be a beneficial report to have, but the contacts could prove to be invaluable.”
As for their current marketing of Herkimer County to potential developers, the board requested that Casale research placing billboards at Albany International Airport’s Million Air terminal for corporate, charter and private aircraft, as well as along the Adirondack Northway and near SUNYIT.
The board also requested that Casale look into advertising in newspapers that serve Dresden, Germany, the headquarters for Globalfoundaries, which is building a computer chip plant in Malta.
“This foundry is going to generate thousands of jobs, and there is no reason why some of those spin-off jobs cannot land here in Herkimer County,” said Piseck.
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Looking to give Herkimer County a leg up when it comes to attracting business or industry from beyond its geographic boundaries, the county Industrial Development Agency may contract with a local firm to perform a comprehensive assessment of all that it has to offer.
“It’s a fast way to identify the county’s strengths and weaknesses and would give us an idea of where we have a need for improvement or an area to capitalize on new opportunities,” IDA Board of Directors Chairman John Piseck said Thursday. “The assessment would allow us to see the ‘big picture’ and then put our priorities in perspective to develop a long-term plan.”
Piseck said Utica-based Mohawk Valley Applied Technology Corporation recently completed an assessment for the company he works for, CTM Corporation, and that they are seeing benefits.
“The assessment looks at everything from financial records and statements to the education of your workforce,” he said. “In addition to performing the assessment, they also put you in contact with people looking to develop or relocate a business or industry, or people to do business with.”
Speculating on some of the positives that the assessment would turn up, Piseck said Herkimer County is debt free, has a low unemployment rate and has a college to provide workforce training.
“The county has a lot to offer businesses and industries, and this assessment would put all of our strengths together in a report-like format that we could use to focus our marketing plan,” he said.
The cost of the assessment would be approximately $2,000, said Piseck, adding representatives from Mohawk Valley Applied Technology Corporation will be asked to attend a future meeting of the IDA Board of Directors to provide a formal presentation on their services.
“We would be the first county to receive this service from Mohawk Valley Applied Technology, and that is another reason why I feel we should go forward with the assessment,” said Piseck. “To be the first would set us apart from other the counties New York state and would give us a leg up on them when it comes to attracting high technology and manufacturing businesses to our business parks.”
“It’s a great idea and it’s a very good price,” said Anthony Casale, whose Cooperstown-based firm was hired to provide the IDA with marketing and public affairs services. “The assessment in and of itself is would be a beneficial report to have, but the contacts could prove to be invaluable.”
As for their current marketing of Herkimer County to potential developers, the board requested that Casale research placing billboards at Albany International Airport’s Million Air terminal for corporate, charter and private aircraft, as well as along the Adirondack Northway and near SUNYIT.
The board also requested that Casale look into advertising in newspapers that serve Dresden, Germany, the headquarters for Globalfoundaries, which is building a computer chip plant in Malta.
“This foundry is going to generate thousands of jobs, and there is no reason why some of those spin-off jobs cannot land here in Herkimer County,” said Piseck.
