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July 11, 2003
Steinhaus Hails Dutchess Jobs Successes
Dutchess County Wins 5th National Rank and 1st in New
York
Out of 200 US metropolitan areas the Milken Institute’s Best Performing
Cities report, released June 2003, ranks Dutchess County first
for economic growth in New York State. Nationally, Dutchess County jumped
nine slots to 34th in job growth, up from 43rd last
year. Even more startling, Dutchess County is ranked number five
nationally in growth in salaries.
The Milken Institutes annual ranking of U.S. metropolitan areas shows where
jobs are being created, economies are growing and businesses are thriving.
This year, cities with diverse, stable economies - not the booming high-tech
"new economies" of the 1990s - are the big winners.
Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus said, “With the success of our
agenda to diversify our business base, the strategic blueprint we launched in
the mid-1990’s continues to strengthen our local economy. Our endless hours
dedicated to countywide economic development proves no one should be
surprised Dutchess County is a big winner, especially within New York State.
I say congratulations to our Dutchess County team for a job well done. Being
the number one economic development success story in all New York State is an
incredible achievement.”
The Best Performing Cities ranking depicts those US metropolitan areas that
are recording the top economic performance and creating the most jobs in the
nation. It reflects a firm’s ability to create jobs and attract human
capital. Key components of the ranking include job, wage and salary, and
technology growth. A common key in this year’s list was diversity of an
economic base.
“It is important to note,” added County Executive Steinhaus, “that this
report indicates Dutchess County is ranked fifth in nationwide salary growth,
so we are not just offering minimum wage jobs in Dutchess, we are achieving
our goal of creating an overall high quality household living environment in
our community.”
From 1996 to 2001 the county’s salary and wage disbursement growth was ranked
nationally at 47 out of a possible 200. However, Dutchess ranked 5th on a
national average in wages and salary growth for the most recent reported
period.
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The Executive noted, “A great deal of that success can be attributed to our
county’s overall economic development plan that has created thousands of jobs
and filled millions of square footage of commercial space since the
mid-1990’s. Most recently our positive energy produced our selection for the
state’s world-class Hudson River Rivers and Estuaries Center, which
will be calling Dutchess County home at Dennings Point, Beacon. This center
will generate $170 million of construction investment, employ up to 500
scientists, researches, PhD’s and others, with a projected annual budget of
$50 million.” Steinhaus pointed out Dutchess won the competition to be the
host community against two-dozen river communities.
“Our agenda in Dutchess County is to have a successful, comprehensive,
multidimensional, economic development strategy that diversifies our business
foundation,” said the County Executive. “My goal has been for Dutchess to be
a world-wide recognized ‘brand name’ and branding our county with world class
assets such as the Rivers and Estuary Center will help achieve that
goal.”
Dutchess County’s string of successes since the mid-1990’s has been
phenomenal. The Executive noted, “We have recruited almost 100 new
businesses-including the $2.5 Billion IBM Chip Fab, the Gap’s northeastern US
Distribution Center and its current 1,200 paychecks, and in just the past
year, Dutchess County’s aggressive economic development strategy produced an
eye-opening half of the total new jobs created in the Hudson Valley Region.”
Steinhaus said, “We have been recognized as a five-star community for our
quality of life, and by Forbes Magazine as ‘one of the best places to
live and work in the US’ and by the NYS Business Council as ‘a poster
child for economic development.’”
Dutchess County’s Economic Development in a glimpse:
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Since 1993, Dutchess County has been running on a multi-dimensional,
comprehensive diversification strategy.
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Almost 100 expanded or recruited companies have joined the region.
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Over seven million square feet has been absorbed.
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Since 1995, over $300 million in IDA finance bonding.
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Twenty-three Dutchess County Companies have received IDA trade show grants.
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Almost 300 Dutchess County businesses are certified as Empire Zone
recipients, employing 16,000, with 3,600 of those being newly created jobs.
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11,000 tourism jobs exist.
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Dutchess County Tourism launched a countywide tourism training grant that
will train employees of the tourism industry, restaurants and hotels, to
include the Courtyard Marriott and Hampton Inn.
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Since 2002, successful partnerships with local corporations such as Phillips
Semi Conductor and IBM plan to conduct hi-tech training for new employees.
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GAP Corp. will apply for a training grant from the NYS Department of Labor.
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Fishkill Health Center will begin credentialing program for training
healthcare workers.
-end-
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