Fermentation tanks now traveling down the Erie Canal in Upstate New York made in China with help of state economic development funding
The Three Assemblymen Support Brindisi-Sponsored ‘Buy New York’ Act To Require The State Give Preference And Tax Credits To Goods, Products and Services Produced in New York
Assemblymen Have Written to Governor Cuomo, ESDC Commmissioner Howard Zemsky Asking Why State Economic Development Dollars Were Used to Support a Project With Goods Manufactured in China, When Companies in Upstate New York Could Have Done The Work
The three Assemblymembers representing Herkimer County—Anthony Brindisi of Utica, Brian Miller of New Hartford, and Marc Butler of Newport say the news that a dozen beer fermentation tanks currently being transported down the Erie Canal to the Genesee Brewing Company in Rochester were made in China with nearly $10 million in State Economic Development dollars when upstate companies like Feldmeier Manufacturing Inc. in Little Falls could have done the work is deeply troubling.
“The fermentation tanks going down the Erie Canal are literally on a slow boat from China. It disgusts me to know that state economic development dollars were used to support a project where goods were manufactured in China, when we have companies like Feldmeier Equipment that produce products like this right in the Mohawk Valley. New York should put its money where its mouth is and support our state workers and state companies first, before they ship taxpayer’s money right out the door to China,” Brindisi said.
“It simply makes no sense to export economic development dollars to China, when by definition this funding is supposed to grow jobs here in New York. New York has many long-time manufacturers like Feldmeier that are more than willing to produce quality products, and these companies deserve a chance to do business with the state,” Miller said.
“As we struggle to improve the economy of upstate New York, I think this administration has missed a tremendous opportunity to secure employment opportunities here in Little Falls and the Mohawk Valley. I’m truly disappointed that a highly regarded company like Feldmeier has been by-passed by this process, and in particular when state funding is a part of the project. We must take steps to insure that does not happen again in the Mohawk Valley or anywhere in New York State,” Butler said.
“It is extraordinarily disappointing in light of all of the efforts my partners in government and I are putting toward keeping jobs local and invigorating the upstate economy that more effort did not go into ensuring these incentives went to Feldmeier, a company that has been in Little Falls for more than six decades,” said Little Falls Mayor Mark Blask.
Brindisi says the Buy New York Act (A.5510) he is sponsoring, which is supported by Miller and Butler, would require state agencies to give preference to buying goods and services produced in New York State when handing out tax dollars, as well as requiring the use of New York State iron, steel, and manufactured products for many government contracts.
Enclosed is the text of the letter the three Assembly members have written on the issue to Governor Andrew Cuomo and Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Howard Zemsky:
Dear Governor Cuomo and Commissioner Zemsky:
While it has been exciting to see the interest generated in the Erie Canal over the recent shipment of beverage tanks to the North American Brewery Facility in Rochester, the event has generated some strong concerns for us here in Herkimer County and the Mohawk Valley.
As you know, the tanks were manufactured in China and then shipped here for delivery. We believe you can understand that the fanfare for this event was less than enthusiastic in the City of Little Falls, where Feldmeier Equipment, Inc., has a production facility that specializes in tanks of this nature. While there have been statements that Feldmeier did not submit a bid for the project, we are led to believe the opposite is true. In fact, we are absolutely convinced that Feldmeier submitted a proposal for the project and had asked for your support.
Gentlemen, this was a $50 million project which included approximately $9.5 million in state assistance ($4.5 million in performance based Excelsior Jobs Program Tax credits and up to $5 million in Upstate Revitalization Initiative)– assistance provided by the taxpayers of New York State, Herkimer County and the residents of the City of Little Falls. We feel we must express our surprise and disappointment that there were no conditions placed on the expenditure of this state funding.
This project had the potential to be a great win for New York with the attention it drew to the canal, the development of additional brewing capacity for the Rochester area, and the production of the new tanks for an upstate New York Company. Feldmeier has an outstanding reputation for this kind of work and has, in fact, done other work for the Genesee Brewing Company in Rochester.
As things now stand, we must express our strong disappointment that this highly-regarded local company was not given more consideration in this project. We would hope, in the future, New York companies and businesses will receive stronger support from this administration.
Sincerely, Assemblymen Marc Butler, Anthony Brindisi and Brian Miller