“I love it when a plan comes together.” – George Peppard (aka John “Hannibal” Smith on the A-Team)

So do we. As we’ve noted in previous blogs, when knowledge, vision and resources collide - great things can happen.

And they’re beginning to in the Southern Tier.

Over the last year, we’ve had the good fortune to lead the effort to bring Dick’s Sporting Good’s back to Broome County through the new construction of a 650,000 square foot regional distribution center in the Broome Corporate Park. A conversation that began over lunch in September 2015 will now transform a development-challenged site into a dynamic and high-tech distribution center that will serve more than two-hundred Dick’s stores in the northeast. Not to mention, this DC will provide more than 450 job opportunities for the Southern Tier.

We needed good partners to do this – and we had them.

Governor Cuomo and Empire State Development recognized the significance of this project and its ties to our community and worked diligently to keep this project in New York State. Our local government partners – Broome County and the Town of Conklin provided support and enthusiasm to make this project happen and local companies like Delta Engineers worked tirelessly to help us address and understand the site and infrastructure challenges, without wavering in their belief that it could be done. Perhaps most importantly, the DSG team demonstrated their commitment to Broome County and worked day and night to identify all the reasons they would locate here – not whether they should.

As the Press & Sun Bulletin noted in a recent editorial, we should build on the positive momentum we’ve gained in the region, not just with Dick’s but a number of successes in the Southern Tier. Just a few days after the Dick’s announcement, our friends in Hornell, along-side Senator Charles Schumer announced the expansion of Alstom, a manufacturer of high-speed rail cars that will add another 400 hundred jobs. We agree – let’s run, not walk toward prosperity.

But none of this happens without a plan and a good team. Despite the challenges, hurdles and valid frustration at times, the Southern Tier is laser-focused on making their award-winning plans a reality. This means more challenges and hurdles for sure, but we've proven that we can address them. It also means the moments when we can light up a metaphorical cigar and say – we love it when a plan comes together.
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- posted by Stacey