Manufacturing is making a comeback ”“ albeit slowly ”“ in Orange County, and economic partners are working harder than ever in a downturn economy to add jobs and attract business. That was the nodding consensus of the nearly 600 economic development partners who attended the Dec. 7 event hosted by Orange County Partnership at Anthony”™s Pier 9.
President Container, makers of corrugated boxes and specialty packing, was recognized for contributing to the comeback. The company centralized its three New Jersey sites, relocating them to the town of Wallkill in the former Wakefern distribution center. Its infusion of nearly $50 million in improvements to the 500,000 square foot property and annual payroll of $9 million “is a testament that manufacturing is very much alive,” said OCP President Maureen Halahan. The family owned company was presented with OCP”™s Alliance for Balanced Growth Golden Shovel award in recognition of its contribution.
Greater Hudson Valley Family Health Center in Newburgh received the Partnership”™s Quality of Life Award. Its 70,000-square-foot building opened in April 2010, creating 45 new jobs. It plans to add 45 more positions in next year when it is scheduled to open two satellite locations and complete the building of a dental clinic at its Lake Street office. “The health center could not have happened without the support of the people in this room,” said its president and CEO, Linda Muller. It serves 12,000 residents a year on a sliding-scale basis.
There were 530 jobs created this year by 15 new businesses that came into Orange and five that expanded existing businesses, contributing more than $80 million in capital expenditures. “We have a great team of economic partners and we”™re working creatively to bring business here despite an economy that is the worst we”™ve experienced since the Great Depression. Orange County is open for business,” County Executive Edward Diana said.
Crawford Town Clerk Kelly Eskew was recognized by Leadership Orange for her volunteer efforts. “She doesn”™t talk about the hours she contributes to making this a better place to live,” said Nancy Proyect, executive director of the Orange County Citizens Foundation when presenting Eskew with the award, “but the letters of support for her nomination did the talking for her.”
Many were eager to hear what keynote speaker, Charles Payne, CEO of Economic Strategies, had to say about the current state of the American economy.
No fan of the current administration ”“ which he described as having an agenda to make “America interdependent in this world” ”“ Payne did applaud President Obama”™s decision to extend the Bush tax cuts.
“Small business created 54,000 jobs in November. Big business lost 10,000 … this is not the time to burden small and medium-size business with more taxes.” Payne told listeners he”™d like to see Americans begin to believe “in the American dream once more.”
So let me get this straight…orange county gives big tax breaks (money they collected from orange county residents) to a box company from NJ that brings half their staff with them (all of the key personnel with the high paying jobs). This box company then hires residents into low paying jobs (after all that’s why they moved here for cheaper labor) and OCP calls that economic development?
Why not cut taxes and make it easier for residents to live and start their own business. That’s real economic development. OCP is merely playing a shell game with our taxes. Who are the ones patting OCP on the back and applauding their efforts? Themselves of course. I don’t see the masses of people they think they helped commenting on how great they have done.
Let’s face it, doing something is better than nothing, and the folks who were involved worked hard to get the mission completed. I’m just questioning if hey were on the right mission to begin with.