We thought it was important to share some facts about how the region’s construction workforce has contributed to some recent projects, and how the Genesee County Economic Development Center’s (GCEDC) Board of Directors works to make that happen.

When a company with a construction project of $5 million or more receives financial assistance from the GCEDC, they are required to utilize local labor as outlined in our Local Labor Policy.

The policy mandates that 90% of that job is performed by individuals residing in Genesee County and 13 nearby counties.

The construction, expansion, equipping, demolition and/or remediation of new, existing, expanded or renovated facilities is the bedrock of economic development in Genesee County.

MedTech Landing, LLC is building 80 units of market-rate housing in the Town of Batavia. Some of the units are already rented out and almost all of the labor to build it, or 99.96%, came from the local workforce.

Edwards Vacuum will shortly complete construction in which 280 professionals will be employed in the semiconductor industry at STAMP. Over 94% of the workers finishing the construction of the Edwards facility are from the local workforce.

Graham Corporation recently completed an expansion in the City of Batavia. The project supports Graham’s role in the U.S. Navy’s submarine supply chain. We were pleased that 100% of the construction workforce on this project was from our local region.

Oxbo is expanding its operations at Apple Tree Acres in Bergen, where it plans to grow its local employment to 200 as it serves agricultural customers across the United States. Construction by GE Bergen Owner LLC of this facility is sourced from 94.7% local workers.

There are instances when because of worker shortages, warranty requirements, or lack of local bids, that project managers may look outside the 13 county region for available labor.  When that occurs, a waiver must be submitted, reviewed, and approved by the GCEDC Board. 

The good news though, is that the vast majority of construction projects making financial investments in Genesee County utilize such a high level of local labor.

Mark Masse is the President & CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center.