The SUNY Polytechnic Institute campus in Marcy has become an epicenter for the nanotechnology movement in Upstate New York. With more than 1,000 jobs planned, the college is poised to be a leader in education, economic and research development initiatives.

GUEST VIEW: SPECIAL TO THE OBSERVER-DISPATCH

There’s a lot of positive activity in the Mohawk Valley region. We at the Chamber Alliance of the Mohawk Valley have certainly taken notice!

The Chamber Alliance includes chambers of commerce from three counties – Madison, Herkimer and Oneida. There are partnering organizations, too.

In Madison County for example, Johnson Brothers Lumber Company is expanding its lumber-drying business by utilizing the excess heat from the Landfill Gas to Energy facility at the Madison County Landfill. The project will use 2.31 acres of land with a capital investment of approximately $1.2 million with four full-time employees. The venture is expected to generate up to $5.2 million in additional sales following project completion.

Empire Farmstead Brewery, also in Madison County, will expand its existing facility and agricultural component to a standalone manufacturing and agri-tourism facility. This almost $6 million investment will include the purchase of land, annexation into the Village of Cazenovia, and the construction of a new 28,000- square-foot manufacturing facility that will operate with a 60,000 bbl capacity. This will allow the company to expand its market by manufacturing multiple beer styles in kegs, cans, growlers, and bottles. A tasting room, tours and gift shop are all anticipated to draw tourists. The project will break ground soon.

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Article co-authored by Chamber Alliance members Raymond J. Durso Jr., president; Marianne Buttenschon, first vice president; Michele Smith, second vice president, and William R. Gray Jr. secretary/treasurer.