Even in this painfully slow economy, there are still some small glimmers of hope for local manufacturing. Armor Dynamics, which is in the Kingston Business Park on Delaware Avenue, was featured in the Times Herald Record last week as an example of local business inching through the growth process.
The business came into focus because our Congressman Maurice Hinchey secured a $2 million project to develop and fabricate armor for the military. That contract is big enough that the growth could also result in jobs and investment in Kingston over the next year or so. Strange news from an area fighting to keep the jobs we still have.Armor Dynamics is the second tenant in the Kingston Business Park. Their facility was built by the KLDC and with a million dollar grant the Economic Development Office secured with State funding. Contracts like this one can act as a catalyst for other ventures in the Business Park.
Anyone who has stopped by the facility will notice a Kingston Patrol Car inside the lobby. The company has offered to armor that car for the city at no cost. This is likely the beginning of the process that will see other police agencies purchase the armoring for their patrol cars which in turn, will lead to more jobs and investment in Kingston.Steve Finkle, our Director in the Economic Development office says Armor Dynamics currently operates in 10,000 square feet but will likely expand that building over the next year. That expansion has gone through the planning stage and approved already.
Lets hope we can attract yet another business to this location soon. Our city's economic climate depends on it. Something Solar perhaps?
6 comments:
Great post Mike!
Positive,upbeat and hopeful!
Thanks. We need a great deal more of this in our community...smitty
I beleive that I read an article that they were outfitting police cars for Sullivan or Orange County as well. This is a great product, I wish our military would get on it quicker.
Most think that Humvees and other military vehicles weren't armored because we were lazy or Cheney wouldn't allow it, but the fact is that the weight involved in traditional armor severely limited the vehicle's use. Armor Dynamics' product goes along way to fixing that situation from what I have read.
Give these guys the contracts and lets start protecting our soldiers.
I drive up that road to Armor Dynamics periodically and it looks like a ghost town. Maybe 1 or 2 cars in the parking lot. Hopefully they start hiring some people soon. That's a lot of money. Is it going to go towards employement and products or is it going to end up in someone's pocket.humm
8:25 - You are right - I have never seen anyone there! No machinery in the place either - just a patrol car and an empty desk. How can they produce a product without machinery? Hopefully all the money being spent is not just going into someone's pockets...
Hi all:
Armor has slowly hired some of our locals. Their product is now gaining national exposure, and with additional success, might be able to jump start their own operation and bring higher employement to the area.
Economic development appears to be on hold, and it now becomes incumbent upon our leaders to commence ways to save jobs and zero into the areas that are dominant. Tourism is an area that has to be increased. The new programs placed into effect by County Executive Hein should hopefully begin to show results.
All the veterans out there should be talking to their Veteran Associations and attempt to give exposure to Kingston as the hub for this type of reunion.
Consider the fact that we are the First Capitol of NY, Site of the oldest four corners in the country, The Senate House and other Historical revolutionary war building, The Old Dutch Church,45 minutes from West Point, 10 minutes from Woodstock- an hour from Saratoga, the turning point of the war. Kingston is the natural choice - fine dining, fine hotels and a friendly community. and why not!
again, just my three peso's
Shelly Z
well, before we go inviting tourists and guests to our City, let's do a major cleaning of streets and buildings. To enforce a few codes could bring this about. No more excuses for property owners not taking care of their property or landlords not being around. I am almost embarrassed to have people come to our city at this point in time. If we could only re-route them away from Broadway....... But nice thoughts, SZ
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