New York has lured two companies, including one from Silicon Valley in California, to the Rochester Eastman Business Park, a move that will bring up to 1,400 jobs to the area, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced.

Cuomo touted the move in Rochester flanked by state lawmakers from the area, economic development officials, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul as well as former Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy, who now leads the business group Rochester Business Association.

The move by the companies Photonica and Avogy comes with a state investment of about $40 million, Cuomo said. The companies, in turn, are expected to invest $1.6 billion along with the job growth.

“We have invested more money in upstate New York than any administration in history, ten fold,” Cuomo told the crowd at the business park.

Speaking with reporters, Cuomo said the effort was rooted in part by replicating the success of the nanotechnology in the Capital Region.

“The secret formula here was actually invested in Albany with the nanotechnology explosion which has transferred the Albany region,” he said.

READ MORE