Cortland County is situated at the geographic convergence of three regions: Central New York, the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier. It is part of the Central New York Economic Development region, the Finger Lakes Tourism region and the Southern Tier East Regional Planning and Development Board.
A Growing Region
The region is growing in numbers, in affluence and in educational attainment. US Census information suggests that more people are continuing to choose to live and work in the 15-county Central New York (CNY) region that includes the following counties:
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Last year alone in Central New York, 21 companies were responsible for $87.9 million in new capital investments, 547,000 square feet of new construction/improvements and 1,203 new jobs.
The increase in income experienced by the majority of Central New Yorkers is reflected in the considerable levels of effective buying income for households within the region. As the CNY population continues to grow, the average person in CNY is also becoming more affluent. After adjusting for inflation, the per-capita income of residents increased from 1980 to 1990, with Cortland County's increase of 21.7%.
Central New York is a major nucleus for vocational and technical training, from the welder fitter and machine tool trades to electric apprentice theory, from computer programming to statistical process control. The region's skilled work force supports a wide range of industries -- from pharmaceuticals to measuring instruments and electrical machinery, and specialty steels, rubber and plastics, to transportation equipment and food products. Companies profit from being located in the CNY Region with its highly skilled and dedicated work force. Additionally, a strong professional and managerial class helps to keep business and people in CNY healthy and growing. In fact, 38% of the work force is in professional or managerial occupations, compared with 22.8% of the US population.
Indicative of the national trend, CNY is moving toward a service-based economy with 34.8% of the work force employed in the service industries. Wholesale and retail trade sectors of the CNY regional economy employ 21.5% of the population, while 17.4% of the workforce is manufacturing related. Although CNY's manufacturing workforce is lower than service-based employment at 17.4%, Cortland County's highest labor force occupation is in manufacturing -- nearly 39% -- (machine operators, assemblers, handlers, laborers), indicating a robust environment for companies looking to start or expand manufacturing operations. The Central New York region is considered the leading distribution center of the Northeast.
Companies in Cortland County are in good company
Top 10 Manufacturers in Central New York
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Manufacturer |
Location |
Product / Operation |
# Employees |
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Corning, Inc. |
Steuben County Corning |
Products optical fiber and other telecommunications components, cellular ceramics, specialty glass |
5600 |
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IBM |
Broome County Endicott |
Packaging technology, mid-range printer development and assembly, bank machine assembly, digital video processors, software and hardware |
5500 |
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Carrier Corporation |
Onondaga County Syracuse |
Screw and reciprocating compressors, refrigeration units, and centrifugal chillers |
4187 |
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Lockheed Martin Federal Systems |
Tioga County Owego |
Products for aerospace, postal, transportation, information systems |
3800 |
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New Process Gear |
Onondaga County E. Syracuse |
Four-wheel drive transfer cases. Front-wheel drive transaxles, overdrive components |
3508 |
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Oneida, Ltd. |
Madison County Oneida |
Flatware and serveware, industrial conductor wire |
2400 |
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E Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar & Sensor |
Onondaga County Syracuse |
Radar for airborne and ground based, software systems design, integration and development |
2200 |
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Toshiba Display Devices |
Chemung County Horseheads |
Color picture tubes and color display tubes |
1700 |
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Goulds Pumps |
Seneca County Seneca Falls |
Pumps and parts for industrial, residential, and commercial use |
1555 |
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Alcoa |
St. Lawrence County Massena |
Aluminum production, ingot casting, and wire, rod and bar fabrication |
1450 |
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About the BDC | What's New | Cortland County | Regional Area | Empire Zone To keep up with the latest news and information regarding the Cortland County BDC-IDA, CORTLAND COUNTY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION / Executive Director: Thomas E. Gillson 37 Church Street © 2008 Cortland County Business Development Corporation |
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