A chamber of commerce offering up a January outlook on the coming year is nothing new, but getting four for the price of one is.
That’s what was in store for attendees of the inaugural State of the Region breakfast on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Clifton Park. The breakfast was co-hosted by Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus, Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce President Mark Egan, Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce President Linda Hillman and Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce President Chuck Steiner.
“It is a myth that we don’t work together,” said Egan, in reference to the united front of chamber presidents. “The reality is, we do. … This is an opportunity to spotlight what the chambers do, in particular what we do together.”
Despite hailing from different parts of the area, all four leaders offered up a positive view of the state of business affairs in the Capital District, especially when it comes to growth. Steiner said that in comparison to Western New York, the Capital District has a far different economic scene.
“I think I’ve died and went to heaven having the opportunity to come to Schenectady to work,” he said.
Steiner pointed to the region’s 6.9 percent unemployment rate, compared to 7.9 percent statewide.
“Clearly, these are significant numbers that show where we stand in relationship to the rest of the country,” he said. “We are very, very fortunate to be here in the Capital Region in this moment and time.”
Steiner said all four counties represented at the breakfast have seen a growth in population and said that is a great indicator of the state of the economy in the region. He added the chambers have been addressing how to entice business to the region. According to Steiner, one of the contributing factors has been the New York producing an on-time budget.
“This has allowed businesses to have faith in our government,” he said. “This is the place to invest.”
Shimkus said businesses coming to the region and people buying homes here are starting to have an effect, but the biggest challenge will be to not become complacent.
“There are countries around the world trying to beat us,” he said. “We have to make sure we continue to fight.”
All four presidents said the key to future growth is developing a strategic plan for the region, which includes developing the highways, cities, waterfronts and infrastructure. One of the highlights is the goal of Albany International Airport to add another carrier, providing more connections to travelers.
To accomplish this, the chambers have asked businesses to work together as partners to apply for an airport grant. Egan said they’ve gathered a $500,000 commitment when applying for the grant. The federal grant will be $750,000, with the airport setting aside $1.5 million for the project.
“In the long term, if we don’t have a competitive airport, we’re not going to be successful,” Egan said.
According to Shimkus, the second piece of the strategic plan is to bring more power to the region, a resource of vital importance to tech manufacturing businesses like GlobalFoundries.
“As your demand increases, so must your supply,” he said. “We need to get state and federal governments to make changes in investments in our infrastructure.”
He added there are 20 chambers in New York with energy alliance programs.
“This helps businesses save money,” he said.
The final piece of the strategic plan is commuter train linkage via Amtrak. Steiner said that a second track will be added between Schenectady and Rensselaer.
“Our goal is to speed up service,” he said. “It allows Schenectady to increase availability and improve service.”
Steiner also said they are trying to add a car on Amtrak to transport bicycles. He said CDTA buses already has bike racks that are being used every day, even in the winter.
Also in attendance at the breakfast was Rep. Paul Tonko, who also expressed his optimism for the region’s future.
“I think the regional strategy is spot on,” he said. “I like working with the chambers to develop a plan and determining what the goals are.”
To that end, he said he’s appointed a standing committee on energy and commerce.
“Investing in innovating, clean energy builds potential here,” he said.
The chamber presidents also took the opportunity to strike a collaborative tone, hinting at future joint ventures.
“We can overcome problems by bringing our collective strength together,” Egan said. “Working together we can get a different perspective and either get a pat on the back or a kick in the butt.”