PLATTSBURGH — The Development Corp. recently marked its 50th anniversary.
The Development Corp. President Adoré Flynn Kurtz said tremendous community effort has led to the milestone.
"There are so many people in the community that have helped us on our way," she said, adding that many were able to attend the celebration in one of the warehouses in the Banker Road Industrial Park.
"But, there are still many more we haven't been able to tell how thankful we are for their support."
The Development Corp. Director of Marketing Joanne Knowlton said Media Central did a great job creating a video to mark the occasion. They were able to get sound bites from eight of the former chairs of the board of directors.
In the video, Roderic Giltz, chairman in 1987, said he remembers the involvement of his father, E. Glenn Giltz, in those early days.
"I can recall in 1961 meeting my father on this street corner, Marion and Clinton streets, and hearing him telling me that he had just been to a meeting of business men in the community and they were going to start a development corp. to create jobs in the community," he said.
Giltz said the Development Corp. had three key elements that led to a successful launch.
Legal support came from Clyde Lewis and his commitment to the organization. The decision to hire Gus Lapham as the professional head of the organization was instrumental in developing its vision.
The local banking community was also instrumental, he said.
"Those three pieces came together and in many cases early on supplied 100 percent financing for some initial buildings which gave us some critical mass as we moved forward," Giltz said.
Kurtz said she doesn't think they would be here today if those bankers and community leaders didn't take that chance.
She said Elizabeth Kelly, who served as chairwoman in 1985, was the only woman to hold that position until this year.
"Our goal right from the beginning was no big grandiose thing. Small steps, just proceed, build it up and that's what happened," Kelly said in the video.
Kelly later led the push to move into their own office space on Route 3 in Air Industrial Park. Kurtz said Kelly realized the importance of having its own free-standing, professional-looking offices.
Kurtz has been president of The Development Corp. since 1996.
"It's the job I've had the longest in my life," she said.
Since its beginning, it has grown to oversee Air Industrial Park, Banker Road Industrial Park and Champlain Industrial Park, while it focuses on attracting business and industry to Clinton County. She sees their role as conveyors for what businesses need to success in Clinton County.
Community involvement continues to play a key role at The Development Corp.
"I'm very proud that we've been able to create an atmosphere that the people on the board are empowered to help us do the work," Kurtz said.
One highlight was the amendment negotiated between Falcon Seaboard on its payment in lieu of taxes agreement that helped keep that company in the region.
Another is their role in bringing Nova Bus to Banker Road Industrial Park, a site that leaves room for expansion.
On a bittersweet note, she said they are ending a 50-year relationship with a law firm first represented by Lewis and since 1995 by Mark Rogers. Rogers has to stop practicing in order to assume the role of Plattsburgh City Court Judge.
More recently, her involvement on the committee that assembled the North Country Regional Economic Development Council's 5-year Strategic Plan was very rewarding. That was especially true after the region was awarded $103.2 million for 70 projects, the second highest award for any of the 10 regions.
"That was one of the most gratifying experiences I've ever had," Kurtz said.
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