Economic Development: Greater Binghamton: Location, technology and quality of life making more sense than ever

If you are planning an expansion or relocation in the coming months, I invite you to consider Greater Binghamton. We have the sixth largest economy in Upstate New York and are located within easy reach of 60% of the North American population. In less than four hours from Greater Binghamton you can reach clients and customers in two of the most strategic metroplexes in the world: Boston-Washington in the United States and Toronto-Montreal in Canada. In Greater Binghamton you will find one of the most innovative economies in North America. The Milken Institute's Best Performing Cities ranks us in the top 5 nationally for our clusters of high technology industries. Our patents per capita, workforce quality, and research capacity put us in the same league as Cambridge, Austin, and San Jose. WIRED, a leading magazine for creatives, describes Binghamton as an "emerging epicenter" for high tech growth. Our region features strong clusters in aerospace, healthcare, software, advanced manufacturing, communications, simulation, food production and distribution. In Binghamton, your company will join a variety of household names including Lockheed Martin, Gannett, IBM, Frito Lay, L-3 Communications, Rockwell Collins, and BAE Systems. Businesses that choose Binghamton get the advantage of working with Binghamton University ranked in the top 100 national universities and top 40 public universities in the United States. The university is in the planning stages for a $60 million, 112,000 s/f pharmacy school to be built in Johnson City. It is anticipated the school will be home to 240 graduate students as well as 60-100 Ph.D. students and 30-40 faculty members. According to Binghamton University, this summer it will receive a $12.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to create the NorthEast Center for Chemical Energy Storage. The grant, one of the largest in the school's history, will be used to, among other things, conduct research on batteries for cars to cellphones. Construction will begin soon on a $70 million state-of-the-art energy research and development facility for solar energy and fuel cell technologies, and improved efficiencies in computer and electronic systems. Binghamton University is well on its way to becoming a leading global center for research in energy and energy storage. We are excited to be breaking ground this fall on our $13 million high technology incubator in downtown Binghamton. This unique space will offer developing companies state-of-the-art laboratories, connections to industry, and access to technology transfer and commercialization expertise at Binghamton University. Earlier this year the BCIDA approved incentives for the Metroplex at University Plaza, a $54 million student housing development that will add 500 beds to the more than 700 that exist at the Vestal location between the university and downtown. We'd love to show you the Charles St. Business Park in Binghamton. Charles St. is a 32 acre state-of-the-art urban industrial park on the city's west side. This former industrial site has been readapted into one of the premier technology business parks in the northeast. The site is anchored by Emerson Network Power's 40,000 s/f Binghamton headquarters. Charles St. is in a Federal HUBZone creating many potential advantages for businesses that locate there. Another great location, the Airport Corp. Center, offers more than 175,000 s/f of available space for warehouse, manufacturing, and office. The center is located just minutes from Rte. 17/I-86 providing easy access to points in all directions. And the Huron Campus in Endicott features 250,000 s/f of office space as well as 100,000 s/f for manufacturing and 60,000 s/f for warehouse. In Binghamton, the people who work for you will have access to excellent schools, an opera and a symphony, strong minor league baseball and hockey, Division I athletics, and a robust arts scene. We have more family-owned, authentic restaurants per capita in Binghamton than most communities in the U.S. Binghamton's superb transportation system makes it possible to get to the Adirondacks, the Poconos, and amazing fly-fishing along the Delaware River in a matter of hours. And if you like winery tours and tastings we are a short distance from the Finger Lakes, producers of some of the great Rieslings in the world. Binghamton's location, technology and quality of life make more sense than ever. For more on business in our region, visit the BCIDA's website, www.bcida.com which includes a database of available properties, an interactive profile of the area, and links to our incentives and programs. Kevin McLaughlin is the executive director of the Broome County Industrial Development Agency, Binghamton, N.Y.