Its February, the month of the infamous groundhog, cupid, and an extra day of winter in 2012. The GCEDC loves economic development and during the month of February we have had a lot to celebrate. Please read on to find out what is new in Genesee County. |
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Premiere Credit Hires 45 in First Month
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Last month it was announced that Premiere Credit of North America was going to be filling a vacant building on Mill Street in the City of Batavia. This month we visited with Harold Wickline, Vice President of Operations, to find out how the company has been progressing.
Pictured: Harold Wickline- Premiere Credit and Chris Suozzi (GCEDC)
In the last month Premiere Credit received over 250 applications for 45 initial positions. All 45 of these positions have been filled and about one fourth of the persons hired reside in Batavia. Wickline confirmed that the entire management team was hired locally and believed that all of the positions were filled by persons who live in the region. He was thrilled at the education level of the applicants. In Genesee County 53% of residents over the age of 25 have some college education or higher according to the 2010 census. Starting at Premiere entry level employees are paid $13.44/hour and receive an additional $3.59/hour in benefits. Employees also have the opportunity to earn commission on a monthly basis that is un-capped. Rob Meck, President and CEO of Premiere, wanted to locate in Western New York because he feelt that employees here understand pay for performance and are willing to work very hard under an incentive pay model. Premiere plans to work closely with Genesee Community College (GCC) to provide opportunities to current students and graduates. Premiere is a quality company that we are happy to have here in Genesee County.
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Small Business Energy Seminar- March 9th
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The Genesee County Economic Development Center (EDC) and the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce will host a free Business Energy breakfast workshop to help small businesses and not-for-profits learn about free energy audits, incentives for energy efficiency improvements and low-cost financing opportunities to help them reduce their energy bills. The workshop will take place on March 9, 2012, from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Dr. Bruce A. Holm Upstate MedTech Centre, GCC School of Nursing Lecture Hall (2nd Floor) at 99 MedTech Dr. Batavia, NY 14020. The MedTech Centre is located across from the main GCC campus (1 college Dr.). Saving energy is an excellent way for small businesses and not-for-profit organizations to reduce overhead costs. It's also an opportunity to set a powerful example of good environmental stewardship. A qualified energy auditor can help companies and organizations understand their current energy usage and identify energy efficiency improvements for their buildings. Organizations that get energy audits may also take advantage of Green Jobs - Green NY financing, which offers access to low-interest rate loans to finance energy efficiency improvements. And many energy improvement projects are eligible for cash-back incentives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), National Fuel, National Grid and NYSEG. Sign up here to attend.
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| 2012 Venture Forum | |
The 2012 Venture Forum is a collaboration of Bright Buffalo Niagara and the Center for Economic Growth's Upstate SmartStart UNYTECH Venture Forum. This partnership will enable the two events to merge their audiences, reaching both the venture capitalists that SmartStart/UNYTECH typically attracts and the angel investors that have been the focus of Bright in the past years into one, premier Upstate New York Venture Forum. Learn more here and Register Today!
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If you would like to learn more about the GCEDC or any of our projects please do not hesitate calling the office. Thank you for taking the time to read GCEDC's February newsletter. We look forward to updating you on current events and good news every month.
Sincerely,
Steve Hyde
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Genesee County Employment Scene | |
The New York State Department of Labor released its Jobs and Labor Force Statistics Report for December of 2011 showing Genesee County has a 7.4% unemployment rate. This ranking is the 16th lowest in the state among all 62 counties. January's unemployment numbers have not been released this month as of February 28th.
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Congresswoman Hochul Visits Genesee County
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On Wednesday February 22nd Congresswoman Hochul and members of her district office staff visited Genesee County and the Agri-Business Park.
The Congresswoman discussed the state of agriculture, agri-business, and manufacturing in Genesee County with GCEDC, County, and City Officials. |
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Genesee County Featured in Albany Legislative Gazette |
The Week of February 7th 2012 featured Genesee County in the Albany Legislative Gazette. The Genesee County Special Report was made possible through the support of local businesses and organizations. The report outlines the biggest projects underway throughout the county, a legislative welcome from Chairwoman Mary Pat Hancock, tourism information, and an event calendar from Kelly Rapone Marketing Director with the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. Check out the electronic copy or contact our office and we would be happy to mail you a printed edition.
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