Economy/Growth Study – Our County & Local Economy, People & Plans

Geneva is in "The Heart" of the $263 million annual Finger Lakes Wine Country – along with our prestigious
colleges, industry and technology and food science companies, we have diversity and stability

An Economic History (still) Based on our Compelling Soil:

Due to our glacial till – a soil considered premier for crop production from the receding glaciers which formed our Finger Lakes, you will notice throughout our Online Job Tour that Geneva's roots are in agriculture. This industry continues to be a core for Geneva's economy – numerous scientific and technology institutions, anchored by Ivy League Cornell University's Agricultural Experiment Station and USDA's National Grape Genetics Center are here. With the world population expected to boom in the next 50 years, sustainable foods and food production is a major issue and scientists from around the world converge on Geneva to study and exchange ideas.

• Relating back to our agricultural roots, William Smith made his fortune in our area in nurseries (trees, shrubs, and flowers) and founded one of our local colleges which now bear his name.
• Other local corporations continue to run strongly: Guardian Glass (featured above) produces one million pounds of glass products daily, Zotos International is a large hair care and hair products corporation, and Finger Lakes Health operates acute care hospitals in our area including in Geneva next to Finger Lakes Medical Associates.

Booming Wineries & Tourism:

New York is now the third largest wine producing state in the country, behind California, and Washington. The New York wine and grape industry has a $3.76 billion economic impact from the production of wine and grapes and our Seneca Lake Wine Trail attracted the most visitors of all the wineries in New York. Wine production increased 50 percent in the last 20 years to nearly 200 million bottles annually. In the past decade more than 100 wineries and 10,000 acres of vineyards now flourish in the Finger Lakes – more than 35 are on our Seneca Lake, which is the longest and deepest (which helps the Vinifera grape by casting a warm air mass over vineyards in winter).

• At 2.5% of wineries in our state, this works out to $100 million circulating around Seneca Lake each year.

Agriculture, our academic institutions, our wine tourism industry and existing corporations make a compelling and strong diversity that competes with any small-sized community in America.

Economic Principals:

"Through the recession the economy here has stayed very stable. Real estate prices have continued to rise. While we may not have the 'booms' some areas of the country experience we also don't have the 'busts.' As the Chair of the Geneva Chamber Board of Directors, business stability is important for everyone in the area.

I talk to people who live in nearby cities and out-of-state. Due to the wineries and the natural beauty of the Finger Lakes, they perceive our area with a huge 'coolness' factor. Every area has a 'brand' whether they want it or not. The Finger Lakes brand is getting better every day." – Alan Bishop

Bob Stivers takes us for a boat ride on Seneca Lake

Alan Bishop
Chamber Chairman
We're the Place to Be

Bob Stivers
Stivers Enterprises
Seneca Boat Ride

Mark Mette
Guardian Glass
Why Geneva?

Valerie Bassett
Geneva Econ.
EDA's role & growth

Mike Manikowski
Ontario Cty Econ
Technology Profile

Enterprise Development Center
Cornell Technology Park

The Ventosa Vineyards Café Toscana

Wine Industry Leaders:

"There is no better combination of natural beauty and friendly people anywhere in the world." – Lenny

Lenny Cecere
Ventosa Vineyards
An emerging champion
focused on the red wines

Doug Dello Stritto
NY Wine & Culinary Center
A tourist destination & tribute
to a booming industry

Dave Whiting
Red Newt Cellars
National awards &
Five-star fare

Ventosa Vineyards
NY Wine & Culinary Institute
Geneva Profile – History & Wine

* Learn more about our vineyards in Life in the Finger Lakes

• For healthcare practitioners considering a career with us at Finger Lakes Medical Associates: understanding the economies of the communities you are researching is important because it allows you to project your opportunity for the next decade or longer. Your choice should not just be exciting, but also comfortable and backed by facts so you feel good about it. Carefully examine this section and get to know our economy. Allow us to introduce you to our local leaders and don't hesitate to ask to meet them personally when you interview!

Our unique and prestigious colleges – Hobart (men) and William Smith (women) are also featured in Schools & Colleges is one of the few "coordinate" systems in America. When many single-sex institutions became co-ed in the 1960s and '70s, the colleges chose to maintain two separate entities, joined together in order to work as a whole. The choice is symbolized in the campus sculpture of a scissors embedded in the lawn south of the library.

The colleges share most administrative offices (there is only one president's office, for example) they maintain separate deans' offices, athletics programs, student governments and, until recently, admissions offices. A male graduate receives a degree from Hobart College and a female graduate from William Smith College.

The endowments of both colleges are significant. The student population of in excess of 2,000 represents 20% of Geneva's city population. Of the 800 employees more than 200 are faculty with Masters or PhD degrees. The economic impact on Geneva from HWS is over $80 million per year which is about the same as its budget.*

Could there be another community of our size with better economic growth prospects?

Geneva's political and business leaders are committed to growing our waterfront, which hosts local festivals and summer
concerts, as well as Downtown, which has new, renovated property as well as lake view land

Video on Geneva's Growth Plans with City Manager Matt Horn
(Matt is featured in Meet Geneva)

Our colleges and technology parks bring stability and diversity and add to the quality of life here. 25 new businesses opened in Downtown Geneva during what was a national recession between 2010-2012. We are proud to have a diverse, and full industrial park which includes prestigious corporations like Guardian Glass and Zotos International – both with 300+ employees.

Geneva's civic and business leaders are committed to developing Geneva's lakefront and lake view properties, as well as continued revitalization of Downtown, with the primary focus on attracting more tourism dollars from the wine industry here, which at this pace will approach $1 Billion in the next decade.

Business Can Always get Better!

Business Improvement District (BID) Auction

Along with the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and the Office of Economic Development, the Business Improvement District (BID), led by John Hicks, focuses on keeping Downtown's historic charm and its upkeep. Tonight BID is hosting in annual "Light up Geneva" Auction and Raffle to support the holiday decorations which annually "light up" Downtown and add to our holiday cheer.

BID "Light up Geneva" Auction & Items
Business Improvement District (BID) Auction Poster

Location: Geneva is located within one hour to three important Upstate New York population centers: Rochester, Syracuse, and Ithaca, cities who together house a powerful cluster of scientific, technological, educational, cultural, and recreational resources. Over half of the population of the United States and Canada is located within 10 hours of Geneva. Within an 800 mile radius of Geneva is more than half of all businesses and wholesale sales in the US, and more than half of all manufacturing facilities and retail sales in the US and Canada.

Demographics: Growth characterizes everything from Ontario County's population to household income. Household income has increased 34% in the past 10 years. Forty percent of our total labor force holds an associates or higher degree.

Ontario County's population reached 110,000 in 2010. The City Geneva (within the city limits) is home to approximately 15,000 residents and the population, averaging age 31.2, is relatively young vs. other NY cities. The 1,800 students from Hobart & William Smith Colleges are largely responsible for this average, as they represent 20% of the population. Nevertheless, Geneva's working age population still outnumbers its dependent age population by more than 2 to 1.

Geneva is surprisingly diverse for its size. Nearly 12% of the City's residents are non-white, with black residents constituting the largest minority group at 8.4%. Asian residents, Native American, and residents of other races comprise the remaining 3.2%. We are proud of our multicultural heritage which distinguishes us from other cities and villages in this region.

• Since 1990, Geneva's population has increased slightly. This is good news in an era when many northeastern cities have lost residents.

Geneva Employment: In 2010 the unemployment rate in Geneva is 7.9 percent. (U.S. avg. is 9.10%). Recent job growth is Negative. Geneva jobs have decreased by less than 1%.** Average travel time to work is less than 15 minutes.

Major Geneva Employers with more than 300: Lakes Regional Health System, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Guardian Industries, Zotos International (hair care and cosmetics), New York State (Cornell University) Agricultural Experiment Station & Technology Park. Hundreds more are employed by our local wineries.

Fiber Ring (Broadband): Ontario County is home to an innovative public/private open-access fiber optic ring through Axcess Ontario designed to provide affordable, high-speed service to all areas of the county, improving vital communications between government, healthcare and educational institutions, and assisting business clients.

Industrial and Technology Parks: Ontario County has six industrial parks (one in Geneva) and two technology parks (one in Geneva), supported by an incubator accelerator facility located in Geneva.

Additional Ontario County Economic Facts:

• Agriculture is an important aspect of the Ontario County economy. Dairy farms, vineyards, orchards and field crops cover approximately 40% of the land in Ontario County and add to its natural beauty and economic diversity.
• Green Industries: From recycling barn timbers into beautiful post and beam construction to advanced geothermal and radiant heating solutions, Ontario County businesses provide a wide range of sustainable, green products and services.
• Healthcare: Ontario County features three separate healthcare systems. These facilities offer efficient, state-of-the-art emergency rooms, birthing centers, wellness programs and senior living facilities.
• Manufacturers: Ontario County manufacturers produce products in almost every conceivable cluster, shipping nationally and exporting around the world. From a custom woodworking shop with five workers to a defense contractor employing hundreds, these businesses have chosen Ontario County as the right place for their companies to succeed.
• Tech Industries: Thanks to Ontario County's close proximity to research centers such as Cornell, the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology, our companies are uniquely able to embrace technology as a means to establish and maintain competitive advantages in their industries. The county is home to the Tech Farm and Infotonics Technology Center, two unique, world-class facilities that provide state-of-the-art research and development and pilot production for the agribusiness and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industries.

The prestigious Belhurst Castle in Geneva on Seneca Lake – this is the rear of the 2006 estate addition

Our history is compelling and ultimately what our economy and our future is based on. Historic architecture abounds in Geneva, with 2 historic districts and 28 properties outside those districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places and/or the City of Geneva's Register. Belhurst Castle, now a resort and winery, was once the largest privately-owned orchard and farm in the state.

Elizabeth Blackwell is memorialized in Geneva and on the HWS campus, and this is the restored YMCA Building
on Seneca Street, Downtown Geneva

Geneva was incorporated in 1806, making it the 1st official village in western New York. It was the first settlement in the region to have a college, a public hotel, a dedicated church building, and official post office and post master, a YMCA, a water company, a glass factory, and a free public library. Geneva College (now Hobart and William Smith Colleges) holds the distinction of being the first institution in the US to grant a medical degree to a woman, awarded to Elizabeth Blackwell in 1849.

Geneva City Map
Geneva Profile – Business & Technology
Cornell's Ag Experiment Station 2011 Impact Stud

References:

Ontario County Development: www.ontariocountydev.org, Geneva Chamber: www.genevany.com, www.ventosavineyards.com, NY Wine & Culinary Institute: www.nywcc.com, www.rednewt.com, www.governor.ny.gov/press/072211_wine_industries

*Source: Hobart and William Smith Colleges. With the exception of taxes paid, the numbers are estimates based on research by Economics Professor Patrick McGuire, February 2011. Jeffrey Sousa, Finger Lakes Wine Institute

Unless otherwise indicated, every photo was taken specifically for this presentation. Unlike many company websites and recruitment materials, in this presentation there are no "stock" photos or images that aren't authentic. Finger Lakes Medical Associates, LLC is very grateful to our friends and neighbors for making our Online Job Tour so special. We truly appreciate you!

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