With the incredible upswing in the local economy, the revitalization of Main Street, and increased support services for our businesses, there is no better time than now to start up or expand operations in Genesee County. Businesses of all shapes and sizes have found success as members of our community and we welcome this diversity. Below you will find more general information on some of the benefits of doing business in Genesee County.

The GCEDC has been recognized by the International Economic Development Council for having the "Best Overall Business Attraction Incentive Package" in 2004.

There are a number of financial resources at both the state and local level to help ease the cost of starting up or expanding facilities.

• Click to download the BETP pdf

Local Incentives:
Financial Assistance/Capital Formation

• Empire Zone
• Tax Abatements/Exemptions
• Sale Lease Back Agreement
• Low Cost Financing(Revolving Loan Fund, Bonds, Grants)

State and Federal Incentives:

• Empire State Development
• NYSERDA
• CDBG Small Cities

To find out more information on financial assistance programs and opportunities, please visit the Product Portfolio and Support Services section.

Significant Savings Potential: In addition to the aggressive financial incentives highlighted above, your company can experience additional significant cost savings including:

• Lower distribution/transportation costs: The NYS Thruway (I-90), which bisects the county, is the heaviest traveled expressway in the State, providing easy access for growing and expanding businesses. With three interchanges in Genesee County, the average driving distance to the I-90 from any of our corporate parks is less than 1 mile, presenting huge distribution and transportation savings potential for companies.
• Low Cost Electricity: Certain GCEDC parks are located where companies can receive some of the lowest cost electric rates in the country! These rates are as low as 2.5 cents/Kwh versus the Northeast average of 15 cents/Kwh.

Genesee County has an abundance of low cost, highly skilled labor within easy commuting distance.

Low cost labor pool: Labor costs are on average 20% lower than regional averages, making operating a business in Genesee County more cost effective than the surrounding counties.

Abundant, well-educated workforce An abundance of highly skilled and educated workforce gives our companies the ability to keep pace with ever increasing technological demands. Over 30 colleges and universities (including Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, and University of Buffalo) educate and enhance the skills of an excess of 200,000 students across the region, ensuring a continuous supply of qualified labor.

• 84.4% of population ages 25 and higher have high school degrees or higher
• 28.3% of population ages 25 and higher have college degrees
• There is a 350,000 total workforce within a 30 mile radius of GC and 2.2 million person workforce within a 60 mile radius.
• Genesee County is home to Genesee Community College (GCC), which is experiencing strong growth and currently maintains an enrollment of more than 5,000 full-time and part-time students.

Workforce Development Services With the changing demands of the market, it is necessary for all employees to receive the skills training needed to keep up and carry the business into the future. Genesee County offers a multitude of organizations dedicated to equipping your workforce with the training that they need to succeed.

See the Workforce Development section for more information on other support services offered for employee training.

The GCEDC partners with organizations that are dedicated to providing the support that your business needs in order to succeed. Whether it is employee recruitment, employee skills training, conference facilities, financial assistance or general consulting that your business needs, Genesee County houses an organization that can help.

To find out the organizations in Genesee County that provide support services, please see the Support Services section.

Other Benefits:

Location - Centrally Located, Short Distance & Travel Times to Major Economic Hubs:

• Genesee County is located in the heart of a population of 2.2 million people midway between the Buffalo and Rochester Metro regions
• NYS ranks 3rd in 2001 "Top states for new and expanded facilities" by Site Selection Magazine
• Over 9 million people are located within a 2 hour drive of Genesee County, including the Canadian border less than an hours drive away, making Genesee County a prime location for Canadian businesses seeking a US location or US businesses seeking easy access to the Southern Ontario market.
• Ample supply of land in our Corporate Parks that offer Empire Zone Benefits for new or expanding facilities.
• With 6 corporate parks strategically located along the County's Expressway and Interchange exits of the NYS Thruway (I-90) and I-490 - an excellent supply of shovel-ready, fully infrastructured building sites are available to businesses interested in new construction and easy transportation/commuting patterns.
• Maximum 30 minute drive time to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport (one of the lower cost airports in the Northeastern USA) and the Rochester International Airport.
• The Genesee County Airport is a full service airport facility with a recently extended runway measuring 5,500 ft. capable of handling most business jet aircrafts.

To see a listing of available sites/buildings, click Here.