Jul 26, 2007
Three companies recently announced expansion projects that will mean significant investment, growth and jobs in the county.
Over the past year, the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and the Wyoming County IDA have been working with Blue Seal Feeds, Koike Aronson and Empire Distributing on major expansion projects.
Blue Seal Feeds announced expansion plans in October for its Arcade facility. Blue Seal Feeds is manufacturer and distributor of a wide variety of animal feed products. The project will include building a new 60,000 sq. ft. warehouse next to the company’s existing facility in Arcade. The project is expected to create 25 good paying jobs over the next three years and retain 45 existing jobs. “We are very excited to be announcing our facilities expansion here in Arcade, New York,” said Blue Seal Feeds President Randy Schwalke. “Our business is growing and we searched several different locations for this investment. In the end, between the outstanding workforce in Arcade and the incentives provided through New York State and Wyoming County, the choice became clear. We would like to thank Governor Pataki and his team at Empire State Development along with the Wyoming County Economic Development Team for their support in this effort.”
Koike Aronson announced expansion plans in July that will include establishing a show room/auditorium for their products and expanding their production area. Koike, located in Arcade, is a manufacturer of welding positioners and metal cutting machines. The proposed project will create 14 new jobs. “The Wyoming County Chamber has been a great resource for Koike Aronson,” said Koike President and CEO Gerald Leary. “They were involved from the beginning with our recent commitment to expand our facility in Arcade that will help retain existing jobs and create new ones in the county. Their experience, knowledge and coordination of programs and resources greatly helps to ease the burden of new capital expenditures and investments.”
And, finally Empire Distributing is constructing a 75,000 sq. ft. building on Rt. 98 in Arcade. The family owned company is a distributor of fireplaces, stoves and accessories that outgrew their location in Holland, New York. The additional room will allow the business to add another line of products and expand their market. The project will retain 13 jobs in the area and create 7-10 new jobs over the next three years. Company officials chose the Wyoming County location due to its lower property taxes and utility rates. The Wyoming County Industrial Development Agency is providing incentives to the project.