JCS Controls Inc. , a food and beverage consulting and engineering company, is expanding its operations in Monroe County, New York. Specializing in the design of complex processes and control systems for the food and beverage industry, JCS will build an additional 15,000 square feet of production space at its existing Metro Park facility in Brighton City, New York. The upgrades will allow for the installation of welding and air filtration systems, as well as the reassignment of the area to accommodate the company’s engineering team. The company has committed to creating 34 new jobs at the site. With an expansion underway, JCS plans to be operational in the new area in the fall of 2024.
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said at the announcement, “New York State, and the Finger Lakes region, are home to some of the most talent-rich tech companies in the world. By supporting cutting-edge businesses like JCS and UltraPhil that are committed to growing next-generation agribusiness technologies, we are boosting our economy, creating good-paying jobs, and generating even more opportunities to move the Finger Lakes forward.”
ESD is providing up to $400,000 for the JCS project through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit program in exchange for the job creation commitments. Total project cost has been placed at $2.7 million. Monroe County and Greater Rochester Enterprise are are also assisting with the project.
Founded in 1988 as a commercial engineering consulting firm, JCS has grown into a full-service company focused on aseptic processing, a strategy that thermally sterilizes liquid products by packaging them in sterilized containers, resulting in shelf-stable products. that do not need refrigeration. The company also offers its consumers ultra-pasteurization and long-duration methods, as well as various other processes aimed at foods.
JCS President Greg Frechette said, “To be able to continue to grow our business here in the Rochester domain is fantastic. Cooperation and assistance from New York State, Monroe County, and the City of Rochester make it easy to resolve to invest here locally.
Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced, as part of the Regional Economic Development Council’s consolidated investment application process, that New York State will award a grant of up to $600,000 to UltraPhil, a subsidiary of JCS. The company plans to identify a pilot production and beverage line. Study and progression center in downtown Rochester in Sibley Square, focusing on dairy, milk, coffee/tea, protein, and other low- and high-acid aseptic products.
Matt Hurlbutt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Greater Rochester Enterprise, said, “JCS and its subsidiary UltraPhil are developing in the domain of Greater Rochester, New York, thanks to Array’s talented workforce in world-class research and development, low burden to do business, and entrepreneurial and cutting-edge spirit. . the spirit they discovered in the region. UltraPhil’s plans to open the UltraPhil Center for Aseptic Excellence at Sibley Square in downtown Rochester will add a unique asset to the region’s beverage production ecosystem. We look forward to continuing to help JCS and UltraPhil as they grow in the domain of Greater Rochester, New York.
In Saratoga Springs, also in upstate New York, AgroChem USA, LLC, a Kersia Group company, specializes in offering chemicals and products formulated to address dairy farm hygiene issues. The company is applying to expand its plant there and approve incentives. for the assignment in September brought the task closer to completion. The company is targeting a $6. 4 million plant expansion, and the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency approved more than $800,000 in tax incentives earlier this fall. The assignment would require an investment of $6. 4 million. adding a new 27,500-square-foot expansion at its W. J. Grande location. AgroChem USA employs just over 50 people there and expects to create up to 8 new jobs over the next 3 years.
New York State attracts several semiconductor brands and commercial suppliers.
In October 2022, Micron Technology announced that it had selected Clay, New York, in Onandaga County, for its new semiconductor production facility. This assignment awarded the 2022 Platinum Deal of the Year award through Business Facilities. The first phase, which represents an investment of $100 billion over the next two decades, is a planned investment of $20 billion through the end of the decade. And in Malta’s Saratoga County, about two hours east of the Micron site, is GlobalFoundries, which announced in April 2023 its largest investment in the region by purchasing approximately 800 acres of land adjacent to its production facility. existing production. The semiconductor maker now owns 1,110 acres there, formerly known as the Luther Forest Technology Campus. GlobalFoundries employs approximately 2500 other people at the Saratoga County location, which is now its global headquarters.
In February, Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley region welcomed Onsemi with its largest chip production facility in the United States. After acquiring the 300mm production facility at East Fishkill in 2019, the company invested more than $1. 3 billion in creating the country’s discrete 12-inch force. Symbol Sensor Factory, safeguarding more than 1,000 good-paying tech jobs in the Hudson Valley.
Additionally, onsemi is focused on building its semiconductor workforce pipeline, donating $500,000 to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) over 10 years. The aim is to build capabilities in consumer devices and intelligent systems that rely on computer chips to create co-op experiences, workforce development opportunities, and new research initiatives for students and faculty.
With an established microelectronics engineering program, RIT focuses on PC chip design and progression through its Microsystems and Semiconductor Manufacturing Lab. This partial partnership with RIT adds to other critical educational projects in the region, adding last year’s $1. 49 million grant to Dutchess Community College (DCC) to create a SUNY Future of Work Center at DCC’s new Mechatronics and Workforce Development Lab in Fishkill. Developed through the Dutchess County Economic Development Advisory Council’s Education and Workforce Committee, the lab project aims to address skills gaps and create a pathway to jobs in underrepresented communities.
DCC’s Mectronics and Workforce Development Lab opened its doors in October 2023 with the visit of First Lady Dr. Anne S. Jill Biden, and U. S. Secretary of EducationHe was joined by the U. S. Department of Education, Miguel Cardona, to tour these facilities, as well as the new facility: DAY ONE, an education program for early year educators.
“Quality, affordable education that is accessible to everyone is the backbone of a strong economy, and I’m so proud of the way leaders at Dutchess Community College and DAY ONE have stepped up to prepare people to succeed in the workforce,” said Sarah Lee, CEO of Think Dutchess Alliance for Business. “It was an honor to welcome the First Lady and Secretary Cardona to Dutchess County and have them recognize these initiatives that are setting our community up for success and helping people pursue fulfilling careers.”
Located in the Center of Excellence for Industry & Innovation, this $3 million state-of-the-art facility is the first of its kind in the mid-Hudson region. The Mechatronics Lab offers hands-on learning opportunities that will prepare students for a variety of in-demand jobs across the manufacturing sector.
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