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GCEDC board to consider two projects at meeting Thursday

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) will consider applications for two projects at its board meeting on Thursday, Oct. 1.

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce plans to purchase and renovate an existing building at 8276 Park Road in Batavia for use of its offices, as well as the County’s tourism office. The total capital investment is $930,000. The project will retain six jobs and create one part-time position. 

Reinhart Enterprises, Inc., plans to add 16,000 square feet of additional warehousing space to its current location at 36 Swan St. for its growing distribution center. The capital investment is approximately $600,000 and the project is expected to create six new jobs. 

The GCEDC Board meeting will take place at 4 p.m. and is open to the public. Meetings are held at the Innovation Zone Conference Room at MedTech Centre -- 99 MedTech Drive, Batavia, on the first floor, across from Genesee Community College.

david spaulding

question for my fellow readers...... has the gcedc ever said no ? i'm thinking that if they haven't then we really don't need them. all we'd need is a clerk to read over the application and rubber stamp it. done

Sep 28, 2015, 5:19pm Permalink
James Burns

I think they say no a lot it is just long before it goes to the meeting. I know I have been in there twice and they said sorry your too small. First time I was in there they barely gave me the time of day.

Invest $930,000 in my company and you will create a hell of a lot more jobs than 6 and a half.

GCEDC is not set up or interested in growth of small business, they have no incentive to do so, it makes it's money making big business more money. People need careers not low paying jobs. Building up small local business does far more than creating a few jobs and having the profit from the workers effort go over seas or out of state.

Sep 29, 2015, 8:45am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

I've long said what WNY needs is a GCEDC type of organization that invests in start-ups -- the next Rowell box factory, the next Wiard Plow ... industry grows more organically over time than big one-shot deals.

That said, on the scale of things, some of these EDC projects are really small businesses -- Liberty Pumps, for example, and Reinhart, in this case, and the Chamber isn't private enterprise, but it is local.

Also, by the time a project reaches the board stage, it's been vetted by staff. If staff is doing its job, whether you agree with that job or not, the project should be vetted enough that there shouldn't be much debate at the board level. It should be a pretty easy pass (under the current rules of the game).

Sep 29, 2015, 9:09am Permalink
James Burns

I'm not saying there is not a place for them, but if a company makes less than $10,000,000 it is a waste of their time to talk to them because of their commission structure. I am also not saying there is no place for them. However, I think they are not essential to our local growth and stability.

Small business is economic engine that creates stability and long term growth for a small community like Batavia. There should be support for them, there very little and none if it is not a retail business.

Sep 29, 2015, 9:43am Permalink
Kyle Couchman

James I have to say that small business isn't really the economic engine you imagine it to be. They may be easy to set up but hey are also easy to fade away or pack up and move to friendlier economic places.

Howard's comment is spot on, we need Bigger more stable businesses like the ones he mentioned. Because with them come the dhipping traffic, wearhousing and such that will end up buying at the "smaller businesses" that set up around them. We have plenty of retail and such to support bigger business. Only thing GCEDC should lay off of is cutting corners on its own rules and dealing with retail businesses.

Sep 29, 2015, 12:11pm Permalink
James Burns

Depends on your definition of small business. I am not talking about a small company that manages to employ 1-3 people.

According to the rules of our government; up to 500 employees and up to $21M in revenue a year constitutes a small business. That accounts for 99.7 of all business in the USA. Given that definition I think small business has a significant impact on our economy.

When I drive by Liberty Pumps it does not look like a small business, but it technically is. BTW kudos to them they keep expanding. The new addition looks great too.

Sep 29, 2015, 1:50pm Permalink
Raymond Richardson

"I've long said what WNY needs is a GCEDC type of organization that invests in start-ups..."

Seems to me that was the plan when organizing these EDCs, EDZ, or whatever title other municipalities use for their commission, was to help new businesses start-up, with tax breaks and PILOT funding. Not for established businesses to run to when they wish to expand their operations, or whatever they want corporate welfare for.

Sep 29, 2015, 11:30pm Permalink

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