New York State has the right ingredients for manufacturing success, according to makers of cheese, chocolate and grocery product packaging – all of whom have announced their plans to stay, and grow, here.
The American Packaging Corporation, a leading maker of flexible packaging, has committed to building a new 350,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Monroe County that will add 366 jobs by 2021. That plant was originally planned for an Iowa location, but local and state support and commitment to Upstate revitalization helped make the difference in the company’s decision to invest here. In announcing the expansion on Nov. 2, Governor Cuomo called the company’s plans “a testament to the unique assets of the Finger Lakes and to our forward-thinking economic strategy that is fostering innovation and transforming the regional economy.”
Two food producers also plans to grow in the Empire State. Platter’s Chocolates, a family-owned business since 1938, decided to relocate to a new 24,000 square foot facility in the Historic Wurlitzer building in North Tonawanda, where it will expand production lines and offer culinary tours to visitors. Governor Cuomo announced the grand opening of the new $1.3 million factory on Oct. 28, with state-of-the-art climate control capabilities that will allow year-round manufacturing and increased production. The factory tours will add to the Western New York region’s tourism industry which attracts nearly 8 million visitors each year.
On Sept. 20, Empire State Development announced that the Nuova Castelli Group, an Italian cheese processor, will invest several million dollars to purchase the Empire Specialty Cheese manufacturing plant in Chautauqua County and acquire new machinery and equipment for that facility, which produces fresh mozzarella and ricotta cheese. The purchase ensures retention of jobs and relationships with more than 90 local milk suppliers to the plant, including Amish farmers. The additional investment will create a state-of-the-art dairy manufacturing facility, which ESD President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky called the announcement “a huge win” for the area.
And on Sept. 14, the Governor announced that the Bridgestone APM Company, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber manufacturer, had opened its newly constructed 65,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Wheatfield, Niagara County. The plant will produce polyurethane foam seats for the automotive industry and export products to Canada. Cuomo said the project demonstrates the state’s commitment to Western New York “and its growing manufacturing sector.”
This fall season, that growth has shown no signs of stopping.