This Morris Products facility on Carey Road in Queensbury will undergo a major expansion beginning in the spring that will result in the addition of 10 new jobs.
A routine business outreach conversation in late June between EDC Warren County staff and Jeff Schwartz, president of Morris Products in Queensbury, uncovered Schwartz’s desire to expand his electrical construction materials business, possibly through growth outside of Warren County.
Five months later, according to EDC officials, the problem was solved. EDC Warren County and the Warren-Washington IDA have collaborated to enable Morris Products to double the size of its Carey Road location and grow employment there by more than 80 percent.
In the spring, a $1.1 million construction project will commence that will add 31,150 square feet to the present 30,600 square-foot facility and allow the company to expand its work force with 10 new jobs, officials said.
After the initial conversation with Schwartz in June, EDC took rapid action over the summer, including contacting Warren-Washington IDA, to develop a financing solution that would keep this new investment in the community and grow jobs here, the agency said.
“We could have done this expansion in another location, but our preference was to build out here in Queensbury,” said Schwartz. “Our roots are in this community, and we’re glad that EDC and the WWIDA helped us to remain here, and keep our current employees on the job.”
WWIDA Chairman Harold “Bud” Taylor said, “I’m pleased to work with the company to amend their former agreement and keep the growth in Warren County.”
Dan Stec, state Assemblyman-elect in the state’s 114th District, and current chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors and town supervisor of Queensbury, said the project is “a great example of how economic development organizations working together can help our small business community grow.”
“Jeff’s project is just one example of how we can help our businesses stay and grow locally,” notwd EDC Warren County President Vicki Pratt Gerbino. “Regular company visit programs, like the EDC’s Customer Contact Program, allow us to keep abreast of possible changes and proactively work with our businesses to develop local solutions. That’s what we do, and it’s very effective.”
The WWIDA has induced the project and construction is slated to begin in April, with completion expected in the fall.
Morris Products, Inc. has provided electrical and lighting products to U.S. customers since 1994. With over 4,100 items in inventory across eight product categories, Morris provides its customers with one-stop ordering of merchandise at competitive prices. The company presently employs 12 people at its Carey Road facility.
EDC is a public-private non-profit partnership focused on driving private-sector business investment in Warren County. It has delivered assistance to businesses responsible for impacting over 5,000 jobs and more than $480 million in new investments across Warren County.
The Warren-Washington Industrial Development Agency is a public benefit corporation organized for the purpose of promoting and developing businesses with finance and tax advantages targeted at new investments. It has legislative authority to engage in transactions designed to both finance projects and deliver tax advantages to qualifying businesses, according to state law.