Local manufacturing gets boost from Governor

McAlpin Industries, a local manufacturing company has decided to stay in town and expand. The reason this is such a big victory is McAlpin was approached by communities in other states to leave the Rochester area. But it was an investment from New York State which sealed the deal and Governor Eliot Spitzer came to town Wednesday with the good news.

Since Governor Eliot Spitzer took office, he promised "everything changes on day one." Some of those changes have hit home here in Rochester. After a brief tour at McAlpin Industries, a sheet metal processing plant, Spitzer announced a State grant will be awarded to the company in the tune of $478,000.

"We're trying to make sure that our young future employees stay here that's why has been working on the brain drain issue it's something in the headlines even as we speak. How do we not only get out next generation of workers to stay here, but also entice workers from out of New York to move to this wonderful community," said Governor Eliot Spitzer, (D) New York.

The money will be used to renovate the Rochester facility and invest in production machinery, which in turn will create 25 more jobs over the next 3 years. McAlpin Industries has been around for 43 years. It has less than 200 workers. In the past, it was heavily recruited by other states to relocate there, but now with this grant, it plans to stay in the Flower City.

"As we've grown, we face many challenges from being landlocked here in a tough neighborhood to dealing with the economic challenges of doing business in upstate New York," said Ken McAlpin, co-owner of McAlpin Industries.

The State grant is one of many Spitzer will be awarding to other small businesses to encourage competition.

"What we're doing more fundamentally is trying to change the overarching cost structure of doing business in New York. Somebody referred to it, unfortunately, as a perfect storm of unaffordability, a few factors have come together to make us uncompetitive. We're trying to unravel that," said Spitzer.

Even though Spitzer's objective was to come and tout his economic rejuvenation initiative, questions lingered about the scandal surrounding State Senator Joseph Bruno.