News and Events

Events

2009 Fall  Empire Zone Seminar Offered

The Poughkeepsie/Dutchess Empire Zone and DCEDC will host the October 2009 Empire Zone Seminar at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel in Poughkeepsie, NY on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 between 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The seminar is open to businesses, accountants, and financial advisors. Accountants will receive the added benefit of 2 CPE continuing education credits.

Attendees will learn about the Empire Zone tax incentives and changes to the program, as well as financing options available to Empire Zone businesses, and the requirements for participation in the program. Suzanne Reusch with New York State’s Tax and Finance division will lead the presentation and a representative from New York Business Development Corporation will speak about possible financing opportunities.
 
The 2009 Seminar is sponsored by Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGovanni and Weddell, CPAs, New York Business Development Corporation, Oakwood Commons, Indotronix Corp., L.C.S. Facility Maintenance, Majestic Insurance Company, and Shadows on the Hudson.

The fee for the seminar is $35 and includes breakfast, materials and 2 CPE credits for accountants.

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Jasmin Haylett at (845) 463-5400 or dcedc@dcedc.com.

See Flyer PDF for full details.

The Poughkeepsie/Dutchess Empire Zone was designated by New York State in July 1994.  Its purpose is to spur growth in economically impacted areas. The Poughkeepsie/Dutchess Empire Zone is administered through the Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation.

EDC Hosts Go-To Event for the Business Community of Dutchess County

Something exciting will happen on the evening November 12, 2009 at The Grandview in Poughkeepsie: the 2009 DCEDC Business Excellence Awards. This year, 12 employers in Dutchess County will receive awards. The 9 winners that have been announced in advance of the event are:

  • McEnroe Organic (Agriculture Award)
  • Joe Lepore, L.C.S. Facility Maintenance (Entrepreneur of the Year)
  • Stanfordville Machine & Manufacturing Co., Inc. (Manufacturing)
  • Hampton Inn & Suites (Newcomer)
  • Community Foundation of Dutchess County (Not-for-Profit Achievement)
  • Arnoff Moving & Storage (Service Business)
  • Ecosystems Strategies, Inc. (Small Business Achievement)
  • Lorex Industries (Technology Innovation)
  • The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies (Tourism)
  • Special Recognition Awards: To be announced the evening of the event
  • GRAND AWARD: To be announced the evening of the event

More than 400 business executives, community leaders, elected officials, and members of the newsmedia are expected to attend the awards celebration. Tickets are $125 per person. Corporate tables are $1,150 each.

To request that your name to be added to the mailing list for a formal invitation or for answers to your questions about the event, contact DCEDC’s Director of Marketing, Tamara Watson: tamara@dcedc.com (phone: 845.463.5450).

News

Loan Fund Focuses on “Green”

There is now a loan fund for Dutchess County businesses that are planning upgrades and improvements that will reduce their energy consumption and/or for utilizing alternative energy. Known as the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF), the “green” fund can be accessed through The Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC).

Loans will be from $5,000 to $75,000. Projects must show that they will create new jobs or retain existing jobs. Applicants could be businesses, nonprofit employers, or building owners. Uses might include solar, wind, green-planted roofs, energy-efficiency measures, better machinery, boiler retrofits, or geothermal systems, to name a few.

The interest rate for the “green” RLF will be the prime rate. An energy audit is recommended. Loan terms will attempt to match the company’s energy savings, up to a maximum of 7 years. For additional information, call Cathy Maloney, DCEDC Business Development Specialist at 845.463.5415.

Local Firms Play Important Role in Positioning Former IBM West Campus for Adaptive Reuse

The recent sale of the IBM West Campus to Preferred Real Estate Investments, Inc., a Philadelphia-based firm that specializes in adaptive reuse of large industrial properties, was major news in Dutchess County. On March 15, Dutchess County Executive, William R. Steinhaus, hosted a meeting at his office with the goal of facilitating a dialog to enhance understanding of the project and all local entities and issues involved. See Newsreleases for more details.

Fiscal Impact of DevelopmentStudy Produced Under Direction of the Municipal Conversations Subcommittee

Supporting the creation of viable commercial property is an important strategy for DCEDC. To assist, the Municipal Conversations subcommittee (of DCEDC’s Economic Community Affairs Committee) has been addressing the need to dispel the common belief that all development will raise taxes or create unwanted impacts.

To help achieve this aim, the subcommittee directed the completion of a study to determine the fiscal impact of development. The study was of six residential developments and one commercial development. The resulting Fiscal Impact of Growth is is available for presentation by staff at community meetings. Additionally, a meeting was held with the Poughkeepsie Journal Editorial Board prior to planning a broad-based community release of the report.