Ulster offers economic road map as guide to restoring county’s vitality By KATHY KAHN

Ulster offers economic road map as guide to restoring county’s vitality
By KATHY KAHN

There was a time when Ulster County had a thriving manufacturing base -- but that was then, and this is now.

“Clearly, we know IBM isn’t coming back, but small industries and other new contributors to the economic scene are taking its place -- and they must be our focus,” said Irene MacPherson, interim president of the Ulster County Development Corp.

The UCDC, along with the Industrial Development Agency and the county’s planning board, unveiled their new comprehensive development strategy, titled, Ulster Tomorrow.

The March 7 summit came following an announcement that Hydro Aluminum would be significantly cutting back production at its Ellenville plant, with 270 jobs hanging in the balance.

“We knew they were planning to sell their division last spring and we were told as late as December 2006 that they had a serious buyer. Then, the ‘serious buyer’ was out of the picture and they said there was another prospect … we didn’t know how it would go,” MacPherson said.

“Right now, the situation is ongoing. There’s hope another corporation will come on board to save those Hydro jobs. It’s still up in the air … we are in the middle of preparing an assistance program if there are layoffs or a closure.”

Ellenville faced similar difficulties when Imperial Schrade, a knife manufacturer, closed its doors two years ago. “But there has been a small light at the end of that tunnel,” MacPherson said. “Canal Street Cutlery opened and some of the Schrade employees made the transition over to the new company.”

Ellenville is not alone when it comes to the need to reinvent its economic base since IBM’s departure in the 1990s.

“Several developers are doing some re-adaptive use,” MacPherson said. “The summit was a huge success because of the number of people who came out to support a proactive approach to reinventing Ulster’s economy.”

Nearly 300 people attended the evening forum at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge, a culmination of months of research. “With the number who showed up, it was a clear signal that people are concerned and want to know what’s being done to promote economic stability,” MacPherson said.

Ulster Tomorrow, its creators say, marks the start of a new era of collaborative and constructive discussion on what the county will look like in the future.

“We need each and every voice at the table to be heard,” said Robert Ryan, chairman of the UCDC. “And once they are heard, we need to act and make decisions that are in the best interest of our residents … the only constant in life is change. It will happen to us, or we can manage it for the benefit of our children so they can have a great place to live and work.”

“Ulster Tomorrow marks a significant effort by the IDA, UCDC and the planning board to work as partners to create a vision for the future,” said March Gallagher, chair of the UCIDA. “With a clear strategy on the ground, economic development agencies can insure our incentives and policies work. Now begins the real work of bringing all the economic development agencies and the public together to make this plan a reality.”

“The Legislature pushed for a road map for the future of economic development that stressed collaboration, openness and accountability,” added Hector Rodriquez, chair of the UC Legislative Committee on Economic Development. “Ulster Tomorrow will ensure our county has a direction and structure to guide decision making and residents to make wise choices for the future.”

The UCDC and IDA retained Cope & Associates (www.consultscope.com) and Economic + Policy Resources (www.epreconomics.com) to aid in developing strategic economic plans for the county’s future. Additional information on Ulster Tomorrow and its implementation is available by calling 338-8840 or e-mail to develop@ulsterny.com

“The level of enthusiasm and support was the exciting part of the summit. For the sake of Ulster County’s future, people are willing to be proactive,” MacPherson said. “We are going to see an influx of business, but they will not be the corporate giants of the past. Our future is the small and medium-sized businesses that are finding Ulster County attractive to work and live in.”

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