Tax breaks from New York state are helping Welch Allyn add jobs to it’s Skaneateles Falls factory, and ensure that the company stays in central New York.
Nine hundred people currently work at Welch Allyn in Skaneateles Falls, creating the medical technology found in many doctor’s offices. The company’s been a central New York mainstay for a century, but when Hill-Rom Holdings of Chicago bought Welch Allyn 18 months ago, there was concern it would leave the area.
That’s when Empire State Development, the state’s economic development agency, started working with the company to ensure it would stay in Skaneateles Falls. The result is an up to $12 million incentive package made up of $6 million in Excelsior tax credits, and $6 million in an Upstate Revitalization Initiative grant. Both are dependent on job creation and investment.
Welch Allyn President Alton Shader says that is evident in a new $4.2 million investment in the plant, and the creation of 100 new jobs.
“We’re still developing all the plans. But we should see jobs across a number of the functions within our organization. R&D, manufacturing, quality and marketing,” said Shader.
Shader says there are a couple of reasons for the investment.
"We are experiencing quite a bit of growth in our business. But as we look across the Hill-Rom organizations, there’s a chance we may have some roles relocate here in Skaneateles from other facilities.”
The Onondaga County Industrial Development agency is also expected to approve local incentives for the company in the near future. Shader hopes this news allays any concerns about the future of Welch Allyn in central New York.
"I’d hope that people understand that we want to invest here in Skaneateles Falls, we want to invest in Welch Allyn. And the incentives are there to ensure that we live up to our commitment.”
