New York state”™s Small Business Development Center and several state and Ulster County agencies widened their economic viewshed in a big way June 24, meeting representatives of China”™s Shandong province at a business matchmaking event held at SUNY New Paltz.
Along with the Small Business Development Center, the Ulster and New Paltz regional chambers of commerce and Ulster”™s director of economic development March Gallagher presented what the Hudson Valley has to offer its Far East counterparts. Both sides are hoping to forge partnerships to create jobs. For those who recall the walled-in China and ping-pong diplomacy of just a generation ago, the evolution could not have been greater.
China has the manufacturing, and the Hudson Valley has the technical know-how and skill sets to grow an alliance with each other, said Lance Matteson, president of the Ulster County Development Corp. He ticked off the list of incentives the state and county could offer to prospective Chinese businesses to partner with U.S. companies, particularly in renewable energy.
“It is to our mutual benefit to develop a relationship,” said Matteson. “You want jobs; we want jobs. This is not a new phenomenon. We are committed to having a long-term relationship. I doubt you will find more fertile ground for growth than the Hudson Valley region.”
Xue Xingzien, chairman of Shandong Automobile Manufacturing, is one of the largest car manufacturers ”“ and one of the oldest ”“ in China. Through an interpreter, he told the Hudson Valley business community he is looking to expand into the U.S. and to manufacture up to 100,000 cars per year here. Xue said the region has workers with the technical skills to help bring his expansion to fruition.
Hali Power, based in Bearsville, is tapping the Chinese market already. The company was a cottage industry creating digital cell phone batteries by its owners, Lilian Zhang and her father Edward Kang. “We originally worked out of our home,” said Kang, “but have taken space in West Hurley. Our long-term plan is to expand our marketing and distribution. This is the region to bring this type of business and other high-tech businesses because of the skill sets of the residents.”
Hali currently works with seven sales offices in China, where it also has its manufacturing plant. Expanding and growing in the U.S. marketplace is both exciting and attractive to Kang, as it was to many of his colleagues who attended the SUNY event.
Hadi Salavitabar, dean of the SUNY New Paltz School of Business, said the downturn affecting economies here and abroad is “the nature of business ”“ it has its ups and downs. We need to look at the big picture and figure out how to improve. We”™ve been lucky here in the Hudson Valley compared to other parts of the country, but we need to work together to make the region an international presence. This networking event is helping to make that happen.”
Harold King, president of the Council of Industry, sits on the business advisory board for the New Paltz School of Business. “There are a lot of opportunities to connect,” said King. “We need to be on the cutting edge of clean technology. Our visitors appreciate our innovative economy and right now, the cost equation for them is a little bit better than it had been in the past.”
Donald Katt, president of SUNY Ulster, let the delegation know the Hudson Valley has the educational resources to help their businesses move ahead if they choose to co-locate here. “Consider our educational system as your training arm here,” he said.
The Shandong delegation, along with Arnaldo Sehwerert, regional director of the Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center, went on to tour Precision Flow Technology at Tech City in Kingston after the networking event.
“This is a great opportunity for our Asian counterparts to see what the Hudson Valley has to offer,” said Sehwerert. “This is the epicenter of renewable energy and along with the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. and our strategic partners, we are definitely on the global map.”
