When Jim Whipple, CEO of the Orleans County EDA, ponders on the strengths of Orleans County, he has a line that the kids up the road at the local sandlot playing hardball might appreciate.
“If you build it, they will come.”
Orleans County is able to play in the big boy sandbox because they have infrastructure in the ground, and if there needs to be more, they’re ready for a quick installation. They have the space to support large scale projects looking at the Buffalo Niagara region.
They did it with Pride Pak, a project we at Invest Buffalo Niagara also helped to bring to Orleans County. The Canadian company packages lettuce and spring mix products for your local Wegmans thanks to nearly $37 million investment and eventually over 200 jobs.
They’ll do it again with the following project and the one after that, too. “It’s always the next project that we're most proud of,” said Whipple.
Of the previous projects he and his team have worked on, Whipple looks back fondly on Western New York Energy LLC, an ethanol plant in Medina that employs around 50 people. While you can measure the jobs and the capital investment, Whipple said the economic spillover cannot be undermined or quantified. Corn is a solid staple to have, and can be used in several different subsidiary industries. Whipple said Orleans County can’t lose with an agribusiness project, either.
“In general, economic development to me are these manufacturers or processors that actually produce something that goes back into the market,” Whipple said. “I talk out of both sides of my face, though. Economic development is also small business owners opening a beauty shop or some guys growing hops.”
“It’s important when you show a prospective project around and they walk out in Medina and look down the road to see the shops open. It is important that there is life after 5 o’clock.”
Maybe the team could take prospective businesses to the local movie theatre. Throw Field of Dreams on the screen and hear the omniscient voice boom, "If you build it, they will come."
What we learned in Orleans County
Over the past few weeks, we at InBN have pounded the pavement in preparation and celebration of Economic Development Week, May 8-13. We’ve reached out to each of our 8 counties, visiting our IDA partners, and touring economic development projects of impact in the area. This is what we learned in Orleans County:
Orleans County is in good hands
Though the Orleans County EDA operates with only three people, you wouldn’t notice it. Jim Whipple, Gabrielle Barone (VP of Business Development), and Diane Blanchard (Micro-Enterprise Business Coordinator) work tirelessly for the success they have seen in recent years. They’re jacks of all trades, adapting on the fly and deploying technology when they can. If they can’t do something in-house, they have consultants that can supplement the work and increase production. “I don’t feel that we don’t have anything that the bigger IDAs have,” said Whipple. “We just don’t have them on staff.”
Canada loves Orleans County
Go into any economic development office and you’ll hear the word “cluster” more than a few times. People love to see a hub of activity and cluster of one industry in an area. It means strength and viability. Orleans County claims their cluster to be the eight Canadian companies located in their border, including Pride Pak. The geography and affordability of the area are perfect for companies looking to cross the border.
Photos by Casi Hall
