By DAN HEATH
PLATTSBURGH — Empire State Development Chairman and CEO Dennis Mullen was in Plattsburgh on Tuesday to see results of grant funding awarded earlier this year.
He toured Imperial Industrial Park, which received a $2.5 million Restore New York grant in September.
David Bray, property manager for Imperial Industrial Park, said Main Mill Street Investments LLC bought the former Imperial Wallcovering Mill about five years after it closed in 1998.
The challenge has been to convert the facility to meet the needs of multiple tenants.
"This grant is allowing us to create the spaces to meet those tenants' needs," Bray said.
HANET EXPANDING
Mullen said the Restore New York program was intended to get assets such as the Imperial Mill off their former owners' balance sheets and turn them into successful enterprises. He was able to meet with two of the tenants leasing space at Imperial and was pleased to see that it is new companies that are moving in.
One is Hanet Plastics. The manufacturer of plastic trays for the food industry moved into 17,000 square feet of space with eight employees in early summer.
It has since expanded to 30,000 square feet and 23 employees and is now operating three shifts five days a week.
Hanet plans additional growth, with another wave of employees set to start in January.
Hanet CEO Jim Kasczowski said available workforce, low electrical rates and access to New York and New England were among the reasons Hanet opened a Plattsburgh location.
TRAINING TEENS
Another tenant offers an educational/vocational program. Ashley Cousens is program coordinator for Solid Foundations, which provides at-risk youths with training as carpenters, electricians and plumbers.
She said 11 students completed the first session. The next session will start Jan. 25, with applications available at OneWorkSource.
RENOVATIONS
Mullen said it's nice to see a good tenant mix at the site. He plans to share the Imperial story with the Governor's Office to show the importance of the Restore grants.
"I'm an advocate of Restore. I'm an even bigger advocate when I see projects like this."
The state funding has been used to bring more electricity to the former warehousing areas of the mill, Bray said. It also allowed roof renovations that removed vents and pipes that had caused tremendous heat loss.
Other plans call for restoration of rail spurs to the north and south side of the building. That would be done only if a tenant needed and requested that service, Bray said.
ROOM TO GROW
Most of the tenants at the site are Canadian-based companies.
Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas said Imperial is perfect for those tenants because it has room for them to grow.
City of Plattsburgh Mayor Donald Kasprzak said the Restore grant was very much appreciated and is a key to redevelopment at Imperial.
"The effort of the Empire State Development staff is also very important and appreciated because it makes the North Country as a whole a stronger region."
Kasprzak said he was very impressed by Mullen.
"I really appreciate the time and effort he has put in working for the North Country. I look forward to working with him in the future."
E-mail Dan Heath at: dheath@pressrepublican.com
