Gillibrand puts focus on manufacturing strength
“Extending an existing program that designates areas of the country as “Manufacturing Communities” could help local businesses access federal funding — that is, if the Capital Region is one of the beneficiaries of the title, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Wednesday. Gillibrand’s bill, which she said she hopes to include in end-of-year legislation packages, would continue an existing program that allows designated pockets of the country with manufacturing strength to have preferred consideration when applying for federal economic development funding.”
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HVCC closes in on fundraising goal as manufacturer donates $125,000
“Simmons Machine Tool Corp. in Menands, New York, is donating $125,000 to help finance the construction of a $14 million manufacturing center at Hudson Valley Community College. The donation by the maker of lathes and wheel boring equipment for the rail car industry helps the Troy school’s fundraising arm draw closer to its $3.25 million fundraising goal.”
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Food hub for upstate farms is coming to the Bronx
“A new $20 million food distribution facility for upstate farmers is coming to Hunts Point, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday. The 125,000-square-foot green market, to be built within the next year, will link food producers across the state with city consumers, the governor said. Cuomo also announced a “New York State Grown & Certified” label that will designate foods from farms that pledge not to use certain chemicals and are inspected by the state.”
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RIT to get federal funding for photonics research
“The Rochester Institute of Technology will receive $305,000 in federal funding through the National Science Foundation, Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced Thursday. The money will allow RIT to purchase an inductively coupled plasma reactive-ion etching system, which is used in the fields of nano-photonics, nano-electronics and nano-bio devices.”
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New SolarCity product – ‘solar roofs’ – will be manufactured at Buffalo factory
“To this point, SolarCity has essentially been a company that buys solar panels from other manufacturers and then installs them on customers’ roofs. Its new factory in Buffalo is part of the company’s long-term strategy to do its own manufacturing, part of a “vertical” business model in which it controls the entire process.”
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Sumitomo plant has added 130 jobs since October to prepare for $87M expansion
“The announcement that Sumitomo Rubber Industries will make a four-year, $87 million investment to double the tire output of its Town of Tonawanda factory was made this morning. But it’s been in Sumitomo’s sights for more than a year, stretching back to June of last year when it dissolved its long-standing alliance with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Sumitomo acquired the factory for $271 million and rebranded it Sumitomo Rubber USA.”
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Love Beets holds opening at Eastman Business Park
“Empire State Development Corp. and state and local leaders Thursday touted the opening of Love Beets USA LLC, which marked the opening of its $19 million, 100,000-square-foot facility at the Eastman Business Park. The company processes and packages fresh, marinated and organic beets and beet products at the LiDestri Foods manufacturing complex. Love Beets employs 111 and is expected to increase to 140 full-time employees within three years.”
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