While a common misperception persists in some corners of the industrial world that it is hard to do business in New York State, it is not true, especially in the Mohawk Valley region. Israel Aircraft Industries spent two years searching the continent for a new location for the headquarters of its North American MRO subsidiary, and finally landed at Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome, New York, in the heart of the Mohawk Valley. Empire Aero Center is now open and planning to expand its workforce in coming years.
This aviation development complements other sectors of the region’s diversifying economy, including information assurance, data security, software development, back office, and finance and insurance, along with traditional heavy industry and manufacturing, particularly in the areas of metals, wire and cable. World leaders – such as Goodrich, BAE Systems, Met Life and the Bank of New York – all have a major presence in the Mohawk Valley.
Logistics and distribution are also strong in the Mohawk Valley, which is within 500 miles of 13 of the top 50 US markets, and within a one-day drive of nearly half the population, personal income, business and sales in the US and Canada.
The Mohawk Valley’s attributes are reflected in the numbers. From late 2002 to late 2003, while private sector jobs were on the decline nationwide, private sector employment grew in the Mohawk Valley.