The Orange County Partnership, an economic development agency based in Goshen, next month will recognize a cider maker, a retail shopping outlet and a commercial developer at its 30th Anniversary awards dinner.
The annual event will start at 5 p.m. Dec. 6 at Anthony”™s Pier 9 in New Windsor.
Angry Orchard Cider Co. in Walden will receive the business group”™s Spirit of Innovation Award, which recognizes a person or nonretail organization that has displayed exceptional initiative in its processes, products and technology or service delivery.
Orange County Partnership officials said the maker of hard cider “has revolutionized the cider industry through 15 years of patient experimentation to bring their passion for cider to new levels. ”¦They have helped create a new sector in the emerging food and beverage industry while establishing an original local tourist attraction. As the top-selling hard cider and the face of the industry, Angry Orchard has set the standard and created the path for others to follow.”
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley will receive the partnership”™s Quality of Life Award, which recognizes a person, organization or company that has shown continued excellence in leadership involving the creation, maintenance or enhancement of the quality of life in Orange County.
Owned by Simon Property Group, the 31-year-old, 900,000-square-foot outlet center includes 240 retail stores and is a major attraction for tourists in metropolitan New York, bringing 13 million visitors to the region.
Mall ownership expects to complete in 2017 a $100 million expansion project that will add 60,000 square feet of retail space and a three-level parking garage and improve traffic flow within the mall and the nearby state Thruway interchange at Harriman. Orange County Partnership officials said the project has created 400 construction jobs and will bring 350 to 400 permanent jobs at the new stores.
The nonprofit partnership”™s Alliance for Balanced Growth will present Matrix Development Group its Golden Shovel Award, which recognizes a person or company that has developed a responsible growth vision to further a strong and diverse economy in Orange County.
Based in Monroe Township, New Jersey, the owner and developer of mixed-use properties last year began construction of a 565,000-square-foot building on a 69-acre property in the town of Newburgh. AmerisourceBergen, a major pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution company, will occupy 317,000 square feet while the remaining 248,000 square feet is being built on speculation.
The Matrix project represents a $75 million capital investment that has created hundreds of construction jobs and will establish 121 new jobs, according to Orange County Partnership officials.
For more information about the anniversary event, contact Larissa Lewis at 845-294-3696 or Larissa@ocpartnership.org.
