By Dennis Brobston
The year 2018 marked Saratoga Economic Development Corp.’s (SEDC) 40th year as the premier economic development organization in the region. Thoughtful collaboration is how SEDC and its partners stimulated over $2.5 billion of new investment, nearly 1,700 new and retained jobs and $50 million in employee payroll since 2014.
In 2018 SEDC produced $44 million of investment retaining and growing 139 jobs. These jobs will add almost $5 million of annual wages to area communities. SEDC continually researches and keeps its fingers on the pulse of market demands enabling us to position Saratoga County’s strengths. We have several strong projects in the pipeline for 2019.
Promoting Saratoga, retaining, and growing jobs and wages remain SEDC’s mission. Our investor members, partners at the Saratoga County IDA, Clifton Park IDA, and Mechanicville-Stillwater IDA, plus strategic engagement with local, regional and state stakeholders remain key ingredients to success. Local communities’ policies and competitive tax rates continue setting a baseline for success.
Other assets have been relatively competitive property costs, an educated workforce, and proximity to 54 percent of North American consumers. Results evident to most are the $1.25 billion in local multifamily and hospitality construction in recent years.