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2019 has been a very good year for Tompkins County Area Development (TCAD).  Earlier this month the economic development organization reported $86.7 million in capital investment projects for 2019. TCAD gives local businesses a voice locally and on the regional and state levels. With only five staff members,  the organization is one of New York State's top performing development organizations for the year.

"We're a pretty nimble organization," says TCAD President Heather McDaniel. "Our mission really is to work with companies and help them grow. So we have some tools in our toolbox where we can provide direct incentives. Our loan fund supports manufacturing and a lot of food-based manufacturers, some high tech and R and D firms with small loans to help them purchase equipment for earlier stage companies are other real signature, uh, business service. We manage the county's Industrial Development Agency (IDA), which is able to phase in new property taxes, abate sales tax on construction and new equipment purchases for businesses that are in growth mode. We've also been able to use the IDA incentive program to develop  more housing and community amenities in the downtown city of Ithaca Density District, which really contributes to a vibrant community."

This year TCAD's strategic partnership with local businesses resulted in the retention of 159 jobs, plus 54 projected new jobs, 140 new units of affordable housing, 5 megawatts of renewable energy projects that were incentivized, and support for the Tompkins County's tourism program.  Lansing projects involve major manufacturing line automation at Transonic Systems on Warren Road, and child care programs at the YMCA in the Village of Lansing, and TCAD delivered a loan to Dutch Harvest Farm in Lansing to develop a luxury wedding and event space.  Other child care initiatives will allow parents to join the workforce, including an education center at the Ithaca Children's Garden.  Municipal projects this year included trails projects, and wastewater treatment feasibility and planning studies.

McDaniel says the biggest successes this year have been Emmy's Organics and South Hill Cider.  Emmy's makes organic gluten free, non-GMO, coconut based cookies, and working with TCAD over the past two years enabled the company to purchase its own building, which, in turn, will allow them to bring new jobs to Tompkins County.

"They're really going to be able to develop the building in a way that meets their needs," McDaniel says. "They're going to bring some production back into New York State that they've had a co-packer doing on the west coast."

South Hill Cider's apple orchard is in the Town of Danby, but production has been outside Tompkins County in the Town of Romulus.  With TCAD's help owner Steve Selin will be building a production facility and tasting room adjacent to the orchard in Danby.

"So those are the two business ones that I think are really impressive and we're going to see those companies grow in the future here in Tompkins County, we've also done a lot of work around promoting offsite community solar projects," McDaniel says. "So residents and commercial businesses now have an opportunity to purchase their electricity that's generated 100% from the sun.  The IDA delivered incentives to make offsite community solar projects in Lansing, Enfield, Ulysses, Newfield, and Dryden. "

TCAD was also able to provide incentives for renovating a building in the Cornell Business and technology Park that will house two startup companies that came from the Cornell University McGovern Center Incubator this year.  The building will include a lab and dry room space.  Conamix is a battery technology company, and Ecolectro, Inc. focuses on clean fuel cells.  The incentives made it possible to keep both companies in the Village of Lansing, rather than going from Cornell to a larger city that has readily available space.

After such a productive year, which is also McDaniel' first year as President of TCAD, she is looking ahead to an exciting 2020.  She says some of the focuses next year will be on affordable housing, developing and rolling out a policy for any projects in that downtown core and waterfront area where the city wants to see more mixed use development.  Those new developments would have some affordable housing components.  TCAD will also be introducing a new enhanced energy incentive to promote energy efficient measures and renewable energy.

Perhaps the most significant of those projects will be the Empire State Data Center project in Lansing, an initiative that could transform Cayuga Operating Company from a coal-fueled producer of electricity to a data center that may potentially grow to use over 100 megawatts of hydro and solar power, some of which may be generated at a proposed solar farm on the company's property.  The project also has a lot of grass roots support, and earlier this month the Town Board appointed an advisory committee to help facilitate the transformation.

"If we're able to make that project happen, that would be the largest single industrial development in the history of Tompkins County," McDaniel says. "A hundred million dollar project in the town of Lansing."

McDaniel has worked at TCAD for 13 years, being involved in countless projects, including helping to facilitate the Warren Road sewer project, which in turn kept significant businesses in Lansing, and attracted new ones to the town.  So she had a lot of experience stepping into the role of President.  She also sits on the executive committee of the Southern Tier regional board of the Economic Development Council that awards grants to projects across the state.  Of $88.6 million in awards in the region, it was announced that Tompkins County had snagged $13.8 million for local projects.

"I've been delighted to be able to work with such a professional team at Tompkins County Area Development, working on progressive policies that improve job prospects and business prospects in the community, but at the same time, promoting renewable energy and conversion from fossil fuels to renewable heating and cooling, for example," says Tompkins County Legislature Chair and IDA member Martha Robertson. "So it's a great organization and they've had a terrific year of success with Heather McDaniel as president in her first year."

As the year's successes attest, she is thriving in her new role.

"I had an amazing transition team and the executive committee of TCAD's board were just tremendous in helping me transition into that leadership role," she says. "I feel the organization has grown and we're stronger for it. I feel like I have grown tremendously just as a person in stepping into this role and, and I think we have a lot to pat ourselves on the back for -- not only me, but my team at TCAD -- for the work that we were able to do."

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