It was a wonderful year at TDC. We welcomed two new staff members, Brittany and Jay; we started construction on a 60,000 SF industrial building at 626 Tom Miller Road, our Workforce Roundtable event made a strong comeback, and we began a new film series called TDC Groundbreakers!
In the beginning of 2022, we welcomed a familiar face, Brittany Varin as the new Digital Marketing Specialist. Brittany first joined the TDC team in 2014 as an administrative assistant and left amicably to pursue her career. She focused on TDC’s digital presence following the organization’s new brand initiative, unveiled in 2021. To showcase the work of TDC and the work happening in Clinton County and in TDC parks, Brittany published a few special stories like, Black-owned businesses in Clinton County, Women in Manufacturing, TDC Green Goals, and Supporting STEAM in the Classroom. She also worked closely with Danielle (Dani) King, Director of Business and Workforce Development to plan and document events and with great excitement, launch the new Groundbreakers campaign.
TDC also welcomed a new board chairperson, Allen Racine. Allen has been a dedicated board member of TDC since 2016, he is North Country native and continues to live, work and play here. For more than 5 years, Allen has been an active part of TDC, and he brings a vital experience to the Board with his background in banking and finance.
At the end of 2021, Dani actually had a different title. In January 2022, she was promoted from Business Development Manager to Director! Dani works diligently to provide resources to tenants while supporting local education and workforce pipeline initiatives. Because of her hard work and dedication, it is no surprise she earned the designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) just a few months later. The designation is a national recognition that denotes a mastery of skills in economic development, professional attainment and a commitment to personal and professional growth.
The year progressed and the pandemic thankfully lessened intensity, the TDC staff was able to rejoin community and chamber events like the annual Chamber dinner (above) and the St. Patrick's Day breakfast (below). It has been wonderful to engage again and take advantage of the many activities, restaurants and businesses in the region. We were able to hold a Groundbreaking ceremony sans masks in April 2022 with many partners that support the TDC mission and growth. The groundbreaking ceremony celebrated the new TDC building #25 which is a 60,000 SF industrial space on Banker Road. Roger Livernois, the former Facilities and Project Manager at TDC successfully managed the start of the new build. This was Roger's second groundbreaking with TDC as he managed building #23 which was completed in 2020. Roger retired from TDC in June after eight years with the organization. Although Roger is missed, he is enjoying retirement and we continue to wish him the best!
Roger transitioned to his retirement, and we welcomed Jay Bouchard as the new Facilities and Project Manager. Jay is an indispensable part of the TDC team; he is responsible for the premier maintenance and care of our tenants' buildings. He manages, and oversees facility needs, planning within our parks, and capital improvements. Jay is certainly a go-getter and wears many hats here at TDC to ensure work is completed effectively. He has continued to manage our capital projects which provides necessary upgrades to our facilities to ensure building longevity.
In October, Medisca, a global company offering pharmaceutical compounding products and services, mixing technology, manufacturing, education services and more, leased the 60,000 sf building currently under construction on Tom Miller Road in Plattsburgh. With 27 years in TDC’s industrial parks, Medisca is TDC’s longest tenured tenant. Jay and Dani have been working closely with the Medisca team to make certain construction is on schedule, and it is equipped with Medisca's needs as a pharmaceutical compounding manufacturer. We look forward to seeing the finished result and Medisca's future success in their new home!
We, like many others, started to adjust to adjust to our new normal. TDC continued to attend community events and host events of our own. Being a tenant in TDC's premier industrial parks means needs are always heard and supported. In the fall, Jay and Dani started their tenant meetings to ensure all businesses had their requirements met. We'd like to continue to work towards inclusion and relationship building within our parks. With this vision and through tenant discussions, "Park Perks" was born! In September and November TDC sponsored High Peaks Brew for local community members and especially, employees within the industrial parks. With High Peaks Brew, we sponsored 200 free beverages this fall which offered a chance for us to see new faces, greet familiar ones and many locals were able to discover the incredible international manufacturers in the area. We look forward to expanding this perk program!
Another incredible event held by TDC was the Workforce Roundtable. The event was designed by Dani King, TDC Director of Business and Workforce Development and our Education and Workforce Development Committee. It offered an opportunity to learn more about available resources relating to training, internships, teacher externships, student engagement, training grants, and more. After presentations, attendees engaged in active roundtable discussions to brainstorm ways to solve shared problems, and how TDC can best support the region's manufacturers. This year, attendance doubled with 30 attendees comprising of 12 local employers and educational and training representatives.
We continued with a positive year as we welcomed six new professionals to the TDC board. These individuals, George Barnett, Linda Brienza, Deb Cleary, Courtney Chandler DeLaura, Dr. John Kowal and Christina Ubl, all bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our organization. We introduced them in two installments: first George, Deb and Christina and then, Dr. Kowal, Linda and Courtney. All new members have made positive impacts to the community, and we know they will make positive contributions to TDC. You can read all their bios by heading to our News Blog.
Click here to read about George, Deb and Christina >
Click here to read about Dr. Kowal, Linda and Courtney >
As 2022 comes to an end, we reflect on how wonderful this year has been and we are grateful. These are just some of the highlights we experienced. It is important to note, all staff members success and milestones of their own which we celebrated. We are also grateful to have such a great team working with synergy.
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