New Flyer is the largest manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in North America with 3,800 employees and thirteen facilities across the U.S. and Canada. As part of the capital plan to upgrade public transportation in the New York City area, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) awarded New Flyer a contract to refresh the entire system’s bus fleet. The contract required a portion of the final product be manufactured in New York State.
Instead of contracting the work, New Flyer decided to establish a manufacturing facility in the State to build transmission and axle sub-assemblies. These high-value parts would then be shipped to St. Cloud, MN for final assembly. To minimize costs associated with shipping parts to the Midwest, the New Flyer facilities team wanted an assembly plant as far west in NYS as possible. By locating in the most southwestern area of the state, the company determined it can save at least $250 per truckload in shipping costs to Minnesota.
Empire State Development (ESD) referred the company to Invest Buffalo Niagara to help with the site search. Teaming up with our partners at the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA), we identified ten sites between the manufacturing centers of Dunkirk and Jamestown that could suit the 30,000-sq. ft. requirement. After a seven-month site selection process and lease negotiation, New Flyer selected a site in Jamestown, NY for its size, immediate access to the I-86 and 30-minute drive to the Pennsylvania border, and for the availability of a skilled labor population. The project was awarded Excelsior Business Program (formerly START-UP NY) tax incentives – a first for Jamestown Community College, the host college, and a first for the Southern Tier region.
InBN relied on our partnerships with Emprire State Development Corporation, CCIDA, Chautauqua Works, Jamestown BPU and Jamestown Community College in helping to successfully establish and welcome New Flyer to New York State.