Project Supports Regional Food Production and Manufacturing Industry
Watch Video of Project Here
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Americold has completed construction of a 181,000-square-foot cold storage distribution facility on approximately 28 acres in the Town of Dunkirk in Chautauqua County. The $41 million project will create 60 new jobs, in addition to the 250 construction jobs created to build the facility, which will provide much-needed cold storage for the food supply chain in the area.
"New York State is pleased to support Americold's growth and advance economic recovery efforts in Western New York's vital food manufacturing sector," Governor Hochul said. "The food and beverage industry will continue to play a major role in lifting our state's economy, and through innovation, coordination, and responsiveness to consumer demands, New York businesses like Americold will help to ensure that we continue to lead the nation in shipping and storage."
The food and beverage industry is a significant and stable contributor to the US economy; it plays a leading role as an employer in many regional economies. The industry's efficiency, continuous innovation over time, and response to changing consumer demand has helped to ensure the affordability and quality of the US food supply, as well as the competitiveness of US food exports. Americold's project is an example of how the primary economic activity of food manufacturing creates value added secondary impacts with its needs for storage and shipping - reverberating through the local and regional economies, creating additional income and employment for businesses.
Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, "We want to ensure that Western New York's food production industry continues to thrive. Americold's expansive warehouse project will catalyze economic growth in Chautauqua County and throughout the region, supporting local manufacturers with expanded storage and transportation solutions and creating new jobs that will help secure a brighter future for all."
New York Power Authority Chairman John R. Koelmel said, "The Niagara Power project is a cornerstone for economic development in Western New York where it directly supports tens of thousands of jobs. We at NYPA are proud to support Americold so that it can establish a new cold storage facility in Dunkirk that will create 60 jobs and provide storage for Wells Enterprises, a major ice cream manufacturer and NYPA power customer."
Americold offers a comprehensive temperature-controlled storage and distribution network that is supported by the most advanced technology. For almost 120 years, Americold has been providing technology-based engineered solutions for the temperature-controlled supply chain industry - supporting everyone from local artisans to regional grocery stores, and from national food producers to international food and beverage organizations. Americold's services include blast freezing and tempering, kitting, labeling, date-coding, and repackaging to meet the needs of its global customer base.
George Chappelle, Chief Executive Officer at Americold, said, "Americold is proud of the critical role we play in the food supply chain. We're committed to providing best-in-class service to our customers as we help them feed the world. This facility in Dunkirk, which is our first in western New York, will help us better service our customers in the area and fulfill our mission. We're thrilled to be a part of this community and expand our presence in the state."
To encourage Americold to build in New York State, Empire State Development offered the company up to $700,000 in performance-based taxed credits through the Excelsior Jobs Program in return for the creation of 60 full-time jobs. In addition, the New York Power Authority is providing 830 kilowatts of low-cost Niagara hydropower.
State Senator George Borrello said, "It is gratifying to see a major project we've worked on with state and local officials for over a year come to fruition. This new Americold cold storage facility will support growth and expansion in the local food production industry while creating 60 new good-paying jobs. This latest investment in our region by a Fortune 500 company is an affirmation of our region's top-notch workforce and commitment to strategic economic development. My thanks go out to Governor Hochul, Commissioner Knight and all those who played a role in this victory."
Assemblymember Andy Goodell said, "Americold's $40 million state-of-the art facility will play an important role in providing essential cold storage capacity for the nearby Well's Enterprises ice cream manufacturing plant, thereby strengthening our local economy and providing dozens of new jobs and expanding our tax base. This project reflects the combined efforts of Americold with the help and support of Governor Hochul, the Chautauqua County IDA, New York Power Authority, National Grid, Empire Development and many State and Local officials."
Chautauqua County Executive Paul Wendel, Jr. said, "I am excited to see this new economic development project come to fruition. Americold's success will support the growth of other local businesses who will be able to utilize the facility to store their products."
More information about Americold can be found at www.americold.com.
About Empire State Development
Empire State Development (ESD) is New York's chief economic development agency. The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing Governor Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of "I LOVE NY," the State's iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, please visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov.