The Wayne County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE), an economic development organization dedicated to job creation in the Rochester region, today announce they have established a strategic partnership for the retention and expansion, attraction and start up of businesses in Wayne County.
The partnership will commence June 1.
"Promoting Wayne County as a great place to do business is an extremely important job and one that greatly impacts the future growth of our regional economy," said Margaret "Peg" Churchill, executive director of the Wayne County IDA. "Over the past two years, GRE has shown that it is knowledgeable and passionate about promoting business and industry, and is committed to economic development on a regional basis. For these reasons, we determined that GRE is the best organization for pursuing a regional marketing approach — an approach that Wayne County believes can only benefit our community."
"It has become increasingly clear that the best way to promote economic development is through public-private partnerships such as GRE," said Jim Homburger, co-owner of Silver Hill Technology Park in Newark."Government cannot do it alone. Collaboration is key if we are to foster economic growth, assist local business and attract new investment to Wayne County. I thank the Wayne County IDA, the Wayne County Board of Supervisors and GRE for all of their hard work in establishing this important partnership for business."
Under the terms of the agreement, GRE and the Wayne County IDA will establish a regular process for exchanging information on leads and contacts for possible business location in Wayne County. GRE will also assist the Wayne County IDA with marketing efforts, including promoting new activities and targeting industries within the county.
Financial packaging, incentives and related items, including tax abatements and payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements, will be directly negotiated by Wayne County. Both GRE and the Wayne County IDA will continue to work with and serve their existing clients in their respective target areas. In addition, the executive director of the Wayne County IDA has joined the GRE Board of Directors.
"Six months ago, we announced our agreement with Monroe County and the City of Rochester, and today we are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Wayne County," said GRE Chairman Wayne LeChase. "This is a critical step forward in the establishment of a true, regional approach to economic development, and one that we hope will soon encompass even more counties throughout the Greater Rochester metropolitan region."
"GRE is proud to be working with Peg Churchill and the Wayne County IDA," LeChase added. "We look forward to a long-term relationship that will benefit all involved — for the growth of our economy and the betterment of our entire community."
About Wayne County IDA:
The Wayne County Industrial Development Agency was established in 1969 to promote Wayne County, aid in the creation and retention of jobs, attract new business, and facilitate the expansion of existing business. The agency manages a revolving loan fund, payment in lieu of tax program and micro-enterprise loan programs, as well as participating in numerous programs with similar missions on the state, federal and regional levels. Located at 16 William Street in the Village of Lyons, the agency staff includes finance officer Dave Richards and office manager Marie Leisenring, along with Churchill. They can be reached at wedcny@co.wayne.ny.us or 315/946-5917.
About GRE:
Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) is a public-private partnership established to professionally market the Rochester metropolitan region as a competitive, high-profile place for business location and growth. Its efforts support business attraction and expansion, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation. GRE collaborates with businesses, universities, not-for-profit organizations and government leaders to ensure a unified approach to regional economic development. For more information, please go to www.RochesterBiz.com.
For additional information contact:
Megan Connor Murphy, PR Manager
Dixon Schwabl Advertising
585-899-3258 office
Megan@DixonSchwabl.com
Staci Henning, Director, Marketing and Public Relations
Greater Rochester Enterprise
585-530-6211 office
Staci@GreaterRochesterEnterprise.com
Peg Churchill, Executive Director
Wayne County Industrial Development Agency
315-946-5917 office
wedcny@co.wayne.ny.us