Orange County Partnership Honors Neuhaus

GOSHEN – The Orange County Partnership recognized Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus as its 2017 Most Valuable Partner (MVP) last Thursday.

The MVP Award is presented to honor individuals or entities that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to improve the economic strength and diversity of Orange County. Neuhaus was honored at the Partnership’s annual MVP Breakfast at West Hills Country Club in Middletown. Approximately 400 people attended the event.

“As County Executive, one of my top priorities has been and will continue to be to focus on economic development and job creation,” Neuhaus said. “I’m proud that we’ve attracted several respected corporations, which has resulted in the creation of thousands of jobs for our residents, and I’m honored to receive this award from the Orange County Partnership.”

According to New York State Labor Department statistics, approximately 6,000 jobs have been created in Orange County since Neuhaus took office on January 1, 2014. The unemployment rate was 6.8 percent in the County in 2013 and is now 4.3 percent, according to the State Labor Department.

“Steve’s commitment to making Orange County a place where businesses don’t just survive but thrive has become an integral part of the culture of County Government,” Orange County President and CEO Maureen Halahan said. “County Executive Neuhaus works tirelessly to promote Orange County with new and innovative initiatives that keep the County on the cutting edge of business attraction and retention.”

In 2016, citing Neuhaus’ financial management as the reason, Moody’s Investor Services revised Orange County’s outlook from negative to stable, basing its decision on the county’s modest debt and pension burden and a large tax base. Moody’s further reported that its revised outlook reflects the stabilization of finances by “new management” and the expectation that a return to surplus operations is in the near future.

With Neuhaus’ help, Halahan said that Orange County has attracted several respected private sector employers, including

· McKesson: Opening a new 340,000 square-foot distribution center in Hamptonburgh in the summer of 2017, it will create 160 new jobs. McKesson is a FORTUNE 500 healthcare services and information technology company.

· Amerisource-Bergen: One of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution companies, Amerisource-Bergen, a FORTUNE 500 company, is building a distribution facility in the Town of Newburgh. It will create approximately 120 jobs.

· Pharmacannis: In July 2015, the state awarded PharmaCannis with one of five medical marijuana licenses. PharmaCannis operates out of a 121,000 square-foot facility in Hamptonburgh, serving as a $20 million capital investment.

· Pratt and Whitney: Aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney last year completed a 71,500-square foot expansion on its turbine-coating plant in the Town of Wallkill, creating approximately 100 new jobs.

· Amy’s Kitchen: The organic food pioneer is moving forward on construction of a 370,000-square foot facility that would create approximately 700 jobs. Amy’s Kitchen hopes to have its Goshen plant running by 2018.

“Working with County Executive Neuhaus has demonstrated that when you are committed to working with and welcoming businesses to the community, they will come,” said Doug Sansted, Chairman of the Orange County Partnership Board, and Crystal Run Healthcare’s Chief Legal Officer. “Orange County is open for business because County Executive Neuhaus is committed to the economic vitality of not only Orange County, but our entire region. We were glad to give him this well-deserved honor today.”