Why is 2012 a great time to invest in Greater Binghamton?

This year as the economy in the United States continues to improve it may be the right time to move forward with the expansion you have been planning. With "insourcing" or "reshoring" all the rage in economic development, we can think of few better places for a new or expanded operation than Binghamton, New York. Our location is perfect -- within easy reach of 60% of the North American population including two of the most important metroplexes in the world: Boston-Washington in the United States and Toronto-Montreal in Canada. We are along the critical Interstate 81 corridor about halfway between Syracuse and Scranton; close to major markets without the traffic and other headaches associated with larger population centers. And in Binghamton you will find one of the most creative economies in the United States. Our patents per capita, industry clusters, and research capacity rank up there with Cambridge, Austin, and San Jose. WIRED Magazine says Binghamton is an "emerging epicenter" for high tech growth. We have strong clusters in aerospace, software, advanced manufacturing, communications, simulation, food production and distribution. In Binghamton, your company will join a variety of household name companies including Lockheed Martin, Gannett, IBM, Frito Lay, L-3 Communications, Endicott Interconnect and BAE Systems. We'd love to show you the Charles Street 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 Street is in a Federal HUBZone creating many potential advantages for businesses that locate there. Please call me or visit www.bcida.com for more information. Businesses that locate in Binghamton get the advantage of working with Binghamton University, a premier global public institution ranked by Kiplinger's Personal Finance as one of the best values in public colleges anywhere. The university features stellar academics, amazing research, and a strong international focus. Binghamton is growing. Last fall, the university opened a $36 million science building with a combination of the latest lab space and classrooms. Binghamton is investing more than $500 million in new residences and other improvements to the campus. The university's growth has added momentum to the revitalization of our downtown. This summer, Newman Development Group, a national leader in commercial retail and student housing real estate, will open Twin River Commons, a $20 million student housing community at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers. Twin River Commons features apartments for 373 students with spectacular views of the rivers. It is anticipated that over the next 2-3 years more than 800 students will be living downtown. 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 fast-growing arts scene. The Binghamton Senators, our American Hockey League franchise affiliated with Ottawa, is the reigning Calder Cup champion. According to U.S. News and World Report, Binghamton is among the most affordable places to retire in the United States. And we were thrilled when the Farmers Insurance Group named Binghamton the 8th safest place to live among communities its size in the United States. Binghamton's superb transportation system makes it possible to get to the Adirondacks, the Poconos, and the tremendous fly-fishing along the Delaware River in a matter of hours. We have some of the best golf courses in the northeast. In the metropolitan area you can wait hours for a tee time. In Binghamton, its a mere few minutes. And if you like winery tours and tastings we are a short distance from the Finger Lakes, one of the Wine Spectator's emerging wine regions in the world. With the cost of energy on the rise, 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 searchable property database, an interactive profile of the area, and links to our incentives and programs. Patrick Doyle is the director, business development at Broome County IDA, Binghamton, N.Y.