small business street in southern tier

Southern Tier

Contact Omar Sanders
Industry Contact Regional Director Omar Sanders

Our manufacturing legacy is fueling cutting-edge innovation

The Southern Tier is building on its strategic location and re-energizing a regional legacy of advanced and industrial manufacturing, in part through industry-university partnerships, to bring new ideas to life: from cutting-edge transportation equipment and powerful batteries that make cell phones and rail cars more efficient to advancing train technologies at light speed.    

Supported by a highly educated work force, the Southern Tier is committing and building for the future through vocational job training programs to prepare the workforce of tomorrow. From Binghamton to Ithaca, the region’s plan for strategic growth includes urban redevelopment and revitalization of cities; updating historic buildings as places for top talent to live and work and a focus on transforming the food and agriculture industry.  Take a look at all that’s happening in the Southern Tier. 

Key Industries in the Southern Tier

Drone hovering in the air

Homeland and Cybersecurity

New York State’s growing homeland and cybersecurity sector produces defense industry and commercial data protection products and services.
The main floor of a distribution facility.

Distribution

New York, with a vast transportation network and strategic access to East Coast markets, is a key distribution hub for major companies.
close up of a financial chart

Financial Services and Insurance

New York is a global tech and talent capital, home to leading commercial and investment banks, financial and insurance services and fintech.
A New York State farm.

Agribusiness

New York State agribusiness, supporting leading companies, is fueled by farms, rich natural resources and innovative agricultural startups.
It is through transformative projects like The Raymond Corporation’s Energy Solutions Manufacturing Center of Excellence that we are ensuring that the Southern Tier region, and in fact all of New York State, are at the cutting edge of manufacturing and innovation.
Governor Kathy Hochul
Campus view in Southern Tier

Dozens of higher educational institutions throughout the region, including top-ranked Cornell University, Binghamton University and Ithaca College, offer research teaching, training, and networking resources, and also act as major economic drivers. Binghamton has now been designated America’s Tech Hub for battery innovation, commercializing research and development and boosting U.S. manufacturing in critical tech industries. 

Presentation on Battery NY

Innovation is a Southern Tier strength. Battery NY, a first-of-its-kind R&D center supporting development of advanced, sustainable battery technologies, was announced 2022, when Binghamton  University won the federal Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC). The new Johnson City home to Battery NY offers proximity to BU, with additional space for future  expansion. The center also will be a hub for creation of a battery innovation and manufacturing ecosystem throughout Upstate New York. Regional small business growth and entrepreneurial startup innovation is further supported through IncubatorWorks in Elmira, REV: Ithaca Startup Works and others providing programming, networking, mentorship and co-working spaces. 

Alstom train

The region’s major anchor businesses include Corning, Raymond Corp., Lockheed Martin, and BAE. The region also is a rail manufacturing hub—Alstom Transportation Inc. is expanding in Hornell, in Steuben County and TTA Systems is a leader in rail transit vehicle vehicles, systems and components.

Copyright ALSTOM SA 2023 | Advanced & Creative Design
Aerial shot of Elmira,NY

The region’s industries are supported by access offered by the Binghamton (BGM), Elmira-Corning (ELM) and Ithaca-Tompkins (ITH) regional airports, and a vast freight railway infrastructure operated by Norfolk Southern, New York Susquehanna & Western and Canadian Pacific. The Binghamton airport is among upstate airports receiving funding from a state competition for upgrades and expansion. And there’s easy north-south access provided by I-81, which connects the Southern Tier with Canada and the mid-Atlantic and Southern states. 

Southern Tier By The Numbers:

Image
icon of a hand holding an abstract design

104.2

innovation index of the Southern Tier compared to the rest of the U.S. 

Image
Teal Icon stats breaker funding graphic.

$2.3B

yearly payroll generated by manufacturing in the region (2019) 

Image
Icon image of a tractor

5,300+

farms call the Southern Tier home 

Population 2025

Labor Force Status 2025

Age Distribution 2025

Education Attainment 2025

Data source: ZoomProspector (Applied Geographic Solutions)

Doing Business in the Southern Tier

Construction of the New NY Bridge in New York's Mid-Hudson Region.

Tax-Based Incentives

All forms of tax incentives that enable savings and cost advantages to businesses.
Man presenting a slide featuring a building rendering on the screen

Operational Support

Programs offering assistance or training to ensure more competitive businesses.
growth_support_overview.jpg

Growth Support

Funds, loans and other means of financial support to stimulate business growth.
People working and talking in co-working space in the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center

Innovation Development Support

Leverage New York State’s unparalleled investment in world-class tech assets, programs and expertise to grow your business.

Explore opportunities in the Southern Tier region

Visit the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council site to see strategic plans, current projects and the latest economic data, plus access funding applications and more.

Regional Office

The Southern Tier regional office works hand-in-hand with new and existing businesses to help identify economic development programs to support business growth and expansion—for building new facilities, relocating a business, expanding operations and workforce and entering new and global markets.  

Image
Headshot of Omar Sanders, Southern Tier Regional Director Contact
Omar Sanders
Regional Director

44 Hawley Street
Room 1508 (15th floor)
Binghamton, NY 13901
United States