>> ON THE JULY EDITION OF THE STATE OF AMERICAN MANUFACTURING HAS TAKEN CENTER STAGE IN THE LIGHT OF TRADE POLICIES BEING PUSHED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, SO WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE WHAT THE LANDSCAPE IN NEW YORK LOOKS LIKE NOW AND WHAT COULD BE IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE.

ALL THAT, COMING UP NEXT, ON CONNECT NEW YORK.

♪ ♪ WELCOME TO CONNECT NEW YORK.

I'M DAVID LOMBARDO.

ON THIS MONTH'S EPISODE WE'RE EXAMINING NEW YORK'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, WHICH IS IN A STATE OF FLUX AS THE RESULT OF MAJOR INVESTMENTS PLANNED FOR UPSTATE NEW YORK AND FEDERAL TRADE POLICIES THAT HAVE CREATED VOLATILITY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

IN A FEW MINUTES WE'LL HEAR FROM OUR PANEL OF POLICYMAKERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, BUT FIRST WE'RE GOING TO SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON A CENTRAL NEW YORK MANUFACTURER THAT IS THE ONLY REMAINING PRODUCER OF STAINLESS-STEEL FLATWARE IN AMERICA.

OUR PRODUCER, JENNA FIELDS, TALKED WITH THE HEAD OF THE COMPANY ABOUT NAVIGATING AN EVER CHANGING LANDSCAPE.

>> MANUFACTURING IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF ANY COUNTRY'S ECONOMY.

YOU CAN'T JUST BE ONE TYPE OF COUNTRY WITH ONE TYPE OF ECONOMY.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE VERY, VERY COGNIZANT OF IS BEING A MADE IN AMERICA COMPANY.

FROM THAT STANDPOINT, WE BUILD AS MUCH QUALITY INTO THE PRODUCT AS POSSIBLE.

WE MAKE SURE THAT THE RAW MATERIALS THAT IT IS MADE WITH ARE MELDED AND PROCESSED IN THE UNITED STATES.

SO YOU ARE GETTING A PRODUCT THAT IS 100% AMERICAN MADE.

WE FEEL THAT WE ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OKAY?

WE ARE MORE THAN A BUSINESS.

THIS IS REALLY SORT OF A CULTURE THAT WE TRY TO BUILD AS A COMPANY.

WE ARE LOCAL.

WE BIAS MUCH LOCAL AS POSSIBLE.

FOR EXAMPLE, OUR PACKAGING COMES FROM EARLVILLE, NEW YORK, RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD AND A LOT OF OUR POLISHING COMPOUNDS AND BUFFING WHEELS, ET CETERA, COME FROM UTICA NEW YORK.

SO WHEN WE NEED SOMETHING, WE CAN HOP IN THE CAR AND GET IT.

WE ARE NOT WAITING FOR A SUPPLY CHAIN THAT IS HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD.

OUR STEEL VENDOR HAS BEEN WITH US FOR 15 YEARS.

THEY'RE LIKE FAMILY TO US.

WE TREAT THEM LIKE FAMILY AND THEY TREAT US LIKE FAMILY.

WE BOUGHT THE FACTORY IN 2005.

IN 2008 WE HAD AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN AND FOR TWO YEARS WE SORT OF STRUGGLED, MUDDLED ALONG TRYING TO SURVIVE THAT.

IN 20 1E7B-- 2010 WE WERE FORCED TO REORGANIZED UNDER BANKRUPTCY LAW CHAPTER 11 AND IN 2014 WE EMERGED.

AND SINCE THEN, OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ONLINE SALES.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 66 EMPLOYEES.

WE ARE 11 TIMES BIGGER THAN WE USED TO BE.

AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY A PRETTY STABLE WORKFORCE RIGHT NOW.

DURING COVID IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND SOMEONE TO SHOW UP TO WORK.

SO AS WE EXPANDED, WE HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME WITH EMPLOYEES.

BUT SINCE THEN, WE HAVE A PRETTY STABLE WORKFORCE.

TARIFFS, UP UNTIL RECENTLY, WERE A DISADVANTAGE FOR US.

SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

25% TARIFF ON STAINLESS STEEL.

SO THAT MEANS ANY STAINLESS STEEL THAT COMES INTO THE UNITED STATES WILL COST 25% MORE THAN IF YOU BOUGHT IT OVERSEAS.

WHICH MEANS OUR RAW MATERIAL COSTS ARE 25% HIGHER THAN IT IS OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.

THAT'S A DISADVANTAGE.

AND THAT'S BEEN A DISADVANTAGE SINCE TARIFFS HAVE BEEN USED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

TODAY, THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION THAT'S IN WASHINGTON IS THAT THEY HAVE A 25% TARIFF ON THE STEEL, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A 25% TARIFF ON THE PRODUCTS MADE WITH THAT STEEL.

SO NOT ONLY IS THERE A TARIFF ON STAINLESS STEEL BUT THERE IS A TARIFF ON STAINLESS STEEL FLATWARE.

THAT GIVES US MORE OF A FIGHTING CHANCE TO COMPETE.

PEOPLE WILL SAY NEW YORK STATE IS A DIFFICULT PLACE TO DO BUSINESS IN.

AND IN SOME WAYS, IT IS.

IN ALBANY THERE ARE THINGS THEY HAVE DONE TO HELP US FROM THE TAX SIDE AS A MANUFACTURER.

SO THERE ARE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE.

FROM THE FEDERAL STANDPOINT, I THINK WHAT WE NEED IS HELP WITH THE TARIFFS, OKAY.

WE NEED TRADE REFORM.

THERE IS A THING CALLED DE MINIMIS WHICH BASICALLY IS ANOTHER WAY FOR IMPORTERS TO SKIRT DUTIES, THAT THAT LOOPHOLE HAS BEEN CLOSED NOW.

SO I FIND THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

AND THEY UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MANUFACTURE IN THE UNITED STATES.

NOW, ARE WE GOING TO GO BACK TO WHERE WE WERE IN THE 1950s AND 60s, PROBABLY NOT.

BUT THERE IS A BALANCE THERE.

WE CAN'T MAKE EVERYTHING OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.

AND WE ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO MAKE EVERYTHING INSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.

BUT AS LONG AS WE KEEP IT BETWEEN THE LINES AND WE HAVE A BALANCED ECONOMY, WE WILL BE FINE.

>> AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO TURN THINGS OVER TO OUR PANEL, AND WE'RE JOINED IN THE STUDIO BY ASSEMBLYMAN AL STIRPE, A SYRACUSE-AREA DEMOCRAT, WHO LEADS HIS CHAMBER'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRY COMMITTEE, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR PATRICK PENFIELD, WHO HAS 15 YEARS OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND MANUFACTURING EXPERIENCE, RANDY WOLKEN, PRESIDENT OF MACNY, THE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, AND MIKE METZGAR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR THE CONSULTING AND TRAINING FIRM TDO.

SO, RANDY, WE HEARD THERE A LITTLE SLICE OF THE MANUFACTURING LANDSCAPE HERE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK.

YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE AN EVEN LARGER PURVIEW THAN THAT.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE STATE OF MANUFACTURING AS WE TALK RIGHT NOW AT THE END OF JUNE?

>> IT'S GREAT HEARING FROM MATT.

HE IS ON OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

WHAT A GREAT COMPANY AND WHAT A GREAT STORY.

MANUFACTURING ACTUALLY IS THRIVING IN NEW YORK.

AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE ANNOUNCED INVESTMENTS AND FUTURE INVESTMENTS COMING.

I THINK IT IS A NEW DAY FOR MANUFACTURING IN NEW YORK AND IT'S ABOUT CONTINUING TO BE A PLACE FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING.

SO I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE.

THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY SOMETIMES THERE ARE HEAD WINDS AND CHALLENGES, BUT WE ARE A TOP 10 MANUFACTURING STATE.

I EXPECT US TO MOVE INTO THE TOP 5 IN THE NEXT DECADE.

I THINK WE HAVE THAT KIND OF GROWTH AHEAD OF US.

>> YOUR OPTIMISM THOUGH, WHAT DO YOU FEEL THAT IS BASED ON AT THIS MOMENT BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT THE FEDERAL RESERVE STUDY FOR THE MOVE JUNE THAT CAME OUT AND THERE WERE DEFINITELY SOME SIGNS OF CONCERN FROM THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SURVEYED IN THAT?

>> YEAH, AS MENTIONED, THE WHOLE TARIFF ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, AT THE SAME TIME IT'S STABILIZING.

YOU SAW THE SAME HEAD WINDS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, NOT JUST HERE.

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT PLANNED INVESTMENT.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, SEMICONDUCTORS, BIO LOGICS ACROSS THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SPECTRUM HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED.

BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT AND I BELIEVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF JOBS ARE ALSO BEING COMMITTED.

SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE MEDIUM TO LONG TERM.

WE ARE A VERY COMPETITIVE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING STATE NOW.

THAT WAS NOT THE CASE 20 YEARS AGO BUT NOW THROUGH GOOD ECONOMIC POLICY, PUBLIC POLICY, AND JUST A FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT WE DO WELL, MAKE THINGS, HAS GIVEN US THIS PRODUCTIVE AND I THINK ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY.

>> DOES THAT SQUARE UP WITH WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE MANUFACTURING INFORMATION THAT IS OUT THERE?

I AGREE WITH RANDY.

I THINK RIGHT HERE IN CENTRAL NEW YORK, WE ARE SEEING AN EXPLOSION OF MANUFACTURING OPPORTUNITIES.

THE KEY THING AND THIS IS REALLY FOR THE VIEWERS, IS MANUFACTURING IS WHAT CREATES WEALTH.

THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT.

YOU WANT MANUFACTURING JOBS, AS MANY AS WE CAN GET BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP US GROW THE ECONOMY AND THIS REGION WILL EXPLODE IF EVERYTHING, WE HOPE COMES THROUGH, THIS WILL BE A RENAISSANCE FROM A MANUFACTURING STANDPOINT IN CENTRAL NEW YORK.

>> DOES IT MATTER WHAT THE MANUFACTURING JOBS ARE?

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING IS WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.

>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> THE HIGH END STUFF.

CHIP MANUFACTURING, YOU KNOW, DEFENSE MANUFACTURING CARS AIRPLANES, PHARMACEUTICALS, MEDICAL DEVICES, FLATWARE.

THAT'S GREAT, TOO AND THERE IS A ROLE FOR FACTORIES LIKE THIS IN PLACES LIKE THAT AND WE WANT THOSE.

BUT ANY TYPE OF MANUFACTURING IS GREAT.

BUT AGAIN IF I WAS IN GOVERNMENT, THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT WOULD I FOCUS ON TRYING TO GET THOSE INDUSTRIES IN PLAY AND TRYING TO GROW THOSE AREAS.

>> WELL, MIKE, YOUR FIRM WORKS WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK MANUFACTURERS, SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OR OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU THINK ARE PRESENT?

>> I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WE ARE FACING RIGHT NOW WITH THE TARIFFS, AND IT HASN'T BEEN AS MUCH THE TARIFFS AS THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE TARIFFS, THAT IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO BUILD A FACTORY, LOOKING TO EXPAND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, MANUFACTURERS WANT STABILITY.

NOT KNOWING FROM MOMENT TO MOMENT HAS GIVEN US A PAUSE.

AS ALWAYS, I THINK WE WILL COME THROUGH ON THIS BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE MORE CHALLENGING THINGS AS FAR AS EXPANSION IS HOW DRASTICALLY THINGS ARE CHANGING AND HOW QUICKLY.

>> YOU SAY THE EXPERIENCE OF EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH THE TARIFFS BEING ON, THE TARIFFS BEING OFF, THE SECRET NEGOTIATIONS ON TARIFFS, 90 DEALS IN 90 DAYS, THAT TYPE OF STUFF ISN'T PROVIDING A LEVEL OF CERTAIN ANY.

>> IT-- IT MAKES FOR EXCITING NEWS BUT FOR MANUFACTURERS JUST TRYING TO PLAN RESPONSIBLY, IT CREATES A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT.

>> IT DOES.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE IDEA THAT IT IS CREATING A STRONGER BARGAINING POSITION FOR THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE?

THE PRESIDENT'S APPROACH TO THIS?

IS THERE SOME POSSIBILITY THAT HE IS PLAYING THREE DIMENSIONAL CHESS AND ANY SHORT-TERM PAIN WITH THIS AETCH PROIS GOING TO BE OFFSET BY GREAT LONG-TERM GAINS.

>> THAT IS NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE.

I WILL SAY THAT CHESS IS A TWO DIMENSIONAL GAME SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND THREE DIMENSIONAL CHESS, BUT THAT BEING ASIDE, THAT IS OUTSIDE OF MY AREA OF EXPERTISE TO HAVE A GOOD COMMENT ON BUT I WOULD LOVE TO BE IN AN ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION.

>> RANDY.

>> RESHOREING IS HAPPENING.

SINCE 2013, OVER TWO MILLION MANUFACTURING JOBS HAVE BEEN COMMITTED OR ALREADY MOVED BACK TO THE COUNTRY.

THAT'S 40% OF WHAT WE LOST OVER FOUR DECADES.

SO WE SHORING IS A PHENOMENA AND I THINK THERE ARE SOME HEAD WINDS SORTING THROUGH WHAT THE NEW TARIFF OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES ARE GOING TO BE.

MATT TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE PIECE.

BUT LONG-TERM, PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE THINGS IN THIS COUNTRY.

COVID CRISIS CHANGED THE WORLD'S PERCEPTION ABOUT LONG SUPPLY CHAINS.

YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN HALFWAY ACROSS THE GLOBE, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT CAN BE DISRUPTED.

SO I THINK THE WORLD IS MOVING TOWARDS LOCALIZED PRODUCTION.

AND I THINK THERE IS GOING TO BE A BALANCE BETWEEN THE GLOBALIZATION GOING ON AND LOCALIZED PRODUCTION.

BUT THE REALITY IS THEY'RE COMING HOME AND ESPECIALLY IN THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SPACE; AS PAT TALKED ABOUT.

THEY WANT TO BE HERE TO MAKE ALL KINDS OF ADVANCED PRODUCTS AND THEY DON'T WANT THEM TO BECOME HOSTAGE TO, YOU KNOW, ENTITIES OR COUNTRIES THAT REALLY, FROM A NATIONAL DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE, CHIPS BEING ONE OF THEM, WE HAVE TO MAKE ADVANCED CHIPS FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE PURPOSES AND ALSO FOR ECONOMIC SECURITY.

>> WELL, IT'S ONE THING TO GET CHIPS FROM CHINA.

IT'S ANOTHER THING TO GET CHIPS FROM SOUTH KOREA WHICH WE HAVE A 70-YEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH.

SO IS THERE A CONCERN ABOUT OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS GETTING SOMETHING FROM A COUNTRY LIKE SOUTH KOREA OR OTHER ALLIES LIKE CANADA AND MEXICO.

>> CLEARLY THE MICRON ANNOUNCEMENT IS ABOUT MAKING U.S. CHIPS AND WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF THE CHIP MAKERS, EVEN THE TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR COMPANY MAKING CHIPS IN ARIZONA.

DIE VEERS PHIING YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN ON THE CHIPS SIDE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE TAIWAN, AS WE ALL KNOW, IS AT LEAST AT SOME RISK OF CHINESE ACTION.

I THINK WILL YOU SEE CHIPS MADE MORE LOCAL TO WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO BE USED WILL.

THERE ARE A LOT OF RESOURCES PUTTING INTO NEAR SHORING AND ON SHORE.

OUR BIGGEST TRADING PARTNER FOR NEW YORK COMPANIES IS CANADA.

SO THE REALITY IS YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THOSE STRONGER TRENDS ARE GOING TO PREVAIL, IN MY OPINION.

>> AND IF COULD I JUMP IN JUST IN TERMS OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF THAT OUT THERE.

THE PANDEMIC DID A GREAT JOB STARTING IT AND WE WOULD START SEEING JUST CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING.

ONE OF OUR CLIENTS WAS IMPORTING A IT HAS BEEN A PRIORITY AND WE HAVE HAD A DECENT AMOUNT OF SUCCESS.

WOULD I SAY A THIRD OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO US HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESHORE AND SAVE MONEY.

>> ASSEMBLYMEMBER HERE IN CENTRAL NEW YORK, WE HAVE THE PROMISE OF MICRON AND $100 BILLION DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES WITH ABOUT $6 BILLION IN SUBSIDIES BETWEEN THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND THE STATE IS OBVIOUSLY PLAYING A LARGE ROLE IN HELPING MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

SO I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU SEE AS THE STATE'S ROLE IN PROMOTING MANUFACTURING MOVING FORWARD?

>> I THINK THERE ARE TWO THINGS.

FIRST OF ALL, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE $6 BILLION IS REALLY A WAY TO COVER SOME HIGHER COSTS THAT YOU WILL INCUR WITH WAGES, YOU KNOW, UNIONS, ET CETERA, IN NEW YORK STATE.

THE OTHER THING WE CAN HELP WITH IS WORKFORCE.

I MEAN WORKFORCE IS REALLY THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE RIGHT NOW IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY.

I MEAN THEY SAID FOR EVERY 20 JOBS THAT ARE OPEN RIGHT NOW, THERE IS ONE QUALIFIED PERSON.

SO BETWEEN NOW AND 2032, THE COUNTRY HAS TO PRODUCE LIKE 732,000 SKILLED WORKERS.

THAT'S A BIG LIFT.

WE ARE DOING SOME STUFF HERE IN NEW YORK STATE.

ON TUESDAY THE SPEAKER WAS UP VISITING ME AND I TOOK HIM TO ONONDAGA COUNTY COLLEGE TO VIEW THE CLEAN ROOM FACILITY THERE AND THE HEAVY EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR CENTER THAT THEY'RE BUILDING ON THE BACKSIDE OF THAT BUILDING.

THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON WE HAVE PUMPED A LOT OF MONEY INTO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND IT IS ALL AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE CHIP MAKING, WELDING, HVAC, WE'VE DONE A LOT IN HEALTHCARE, TOO.

I MEAN IN THE TOP FIVE INDUSTRIES THAT WE SEE GROWING, WE'VE REALLY, I THINK, INVESTED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY IN ALL OF THOSE AREAS.

NOW OCC CAN DO A LOT OF IT.

WE NEED MORE HELP IN TRAINING.

YOU'VE GOT ON RAMP THAT IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF SYRACUSE WHEN THAT FACILITY IS READY.

BUT THAT'S OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW.

WE SORT OF-- WE CAUGHT THE BIG GORILLA.

NOW WE HAVE TO FIX EVERYTHING TO MATCH UP AND MAKE SURE IT OPERATES AS BEST IT CAN.

>> TO EXPAND ON WHAT THE ASSEMBLYMEMBER SAID, THERE ARE 400 MANUFACTURING JOBS ACCORDING TO THE LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS F. WE ARE LOOKING TO FILL THOSE JOBS, WHAT IS THE PROCESS IN TERMS OF A TIMETABLE?

IS IT LIKE TURNING A TANKER BECAUSE IT TAKES TIME BUILDING UP A WORKFORCE FROM SCRASH, LIKE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TAKES TIME?

>> IT DOES ABSOLUTELY TAKE TIME.

THAT IS GOING TO BE THE BIG ISSUE FOR A LOT OF COMPANIES COMING INTO THE AREA, GETTING PEOPLE, FINDING THE RIGHT PEOPLE.

YOU WILL SEE COMPANIES BRING IN PEOPLE FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND THE STATE AND THAT WILL BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT.

IT'S NOT EASY.

AND I THINK AL IS CORRECT.

IT'S HARD TO GET GOOD PEOPLE AND JUST BEING A PAST MANAGER, THAT WAS SOMETHING I USED TO STRUGGLE WITH ALSO.

SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE STATE HAS DONE A GOOD JOB IN TRYING TO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAINING PROGRAMS AND WE ARE GOING NEED MORE OF THAT.

AND I THINK WORKING WITH SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, SOME OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS, TO KIND OF HELP, YOU KNOW, GET THOSE RIGHT SKILL SETS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMPETENT AND ABLE TO HELP THESE COMPANIES IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT, CRITICAL.

>> I THINK A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN ARE GOING TO BE AROUND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE DEGREE PROGRAMS.

SO IT'S A TRAINING.

IT'S WHAT, 12, 16 WEEKS, WHATEVER.

LESCH THE BASIC-- LEARN THE BASICS AND THEN COMPANIES ARE WILLING TO GO AHEAD AND START TRAINING THEMSELVES AGAIN.

THAT WASN'T TRUE 10 YEARS AGO.

I MEAN THEY WANTED SOMEBODY TO COME IN WITH FIVE YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN A VERY SPECIFIC SKILL SET AND THEY HAD LIKE 5 PEOPLE APPLYING FOR THE JOB.

NOW THAT'S COMPLETELY FLIPPED.

COMPANIES HAVE COME TO REALIZE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOME OF THE TRAINING THEMSELVES.

>> I AGREE.

THE MICROCREDENTIALING, WE DO APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS WHICH HAVE BEEN IN EUROPE FOR A VERY LONG TIME BUT HAS BECOME REALLY WHAT COMPANIES WANT TO DO.

COMPANIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY RECRUITING NEED TO FILL THE CRITICAL SKILLS BASIS SO PRE-PRERP OR APPRENTICESHIP ARE GOING TO BE CRITICAL ALONG WITH THE CALL FOR THE FOUR-YEAR BACHELOR DEGREES.

THE TECHNICIANS WILL PROBABLY BE THE HARDEST SPACE TO FILL.

I THINK WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HAVE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS GOING INTO THAT SPACE.

WE HAVE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS NOW THROUGH MACK KNACK MACNY.

IT WILL START AT 18 AND ONE START AT 71.

SO THE REALITY IS IN 16 TO 18 MONTHS, SUPPORTED BY NEW YORK STATE BOTH ESD AND THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR HAVE ALL PARTICIPATED IN CREATING PROGRAMS TO GET PEOPLE INTO JOBS AND THEN TRAIN THEM WHEN THEY'RE IN THE JOBS.

I'M WITH AL ON THIS ONE.

YOU ARE GOING HAVE TO HIRE PEOPLE AND THE COMPANIES ARE GOING TO INVEST, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE GOING HAVE TO INVEST TO MEET THESE NUMBERS.

WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM ALL TO GO THROUGH SCHOOL.

>> AND JUMPING ON THAT, ABSOLUTELY.

MORE AND MORE THE WILLING NOSE HIRE PEOPLE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE CONSIDERED YEARS AGO.

WE ARE SEEING FOLKS WITH DISABILITY ARE BEING CONSIDERED.

FORMERLY INCARCERATED ARE BEING CONSIDERED WHERE THEY FORMERLY WERE NOT.

I'M HEARING HUNGRY, HUMBLE AND SMART AND I'LL TEACH THEM MYSELF.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS GREAT.

APPRENTICESHIPS IN ALL OF THE EARN AND LEARN MODELS REALLY DO A BETTER JOB OF MEETING THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS BECAUSE IF YOU ARE 28, GOT KIDS TO FEED, I DON'T HAVE TWO TO FOUR YEARS TO TAKE OFF WHILE I'M GOING TO FIGURE IT OUT.

IF I CAN GO TO WORK TODAY, GET MY SKILLS AND GO BACK AND FORTH WITH AN EDUCATION, I THINK IT'S A STRONGER MODEL FOR EVERYONE.

I THINK IF YOU LIKE THE FIELD BETTER, BETTER TO APPLY THE EDUCATION THAT YOU LEARN IN THE MOMENTS.

SO ALL IN ALL, I THINK SEEING NEW YORK EXPAND ITS APPROACH HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY ENCOURAGING BECAUSE WHETHER YOU ARE A BUS BOY OR BRAIN SURGEON, YOUR FIRST DAY ON THE JOB, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING AND THEY'RE GOING TO TEACH YOU.

>> THE FIRST DAY THEY DON'T LET YOU GO IN THERE EITHER.

>> I THINK IT BRINGS UP A GOOD POINT, AUTOMATION, RIGHT?

THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT ITSELF GOING TO HELP SUPPLEMENT THE WORKFORCE SITUATIONS.

SO WE ARE SEEING MORE OF THAT.

IT'S NOT LIKE 20 YEARS AGO WHERE YOU HAD 4,000 EMPLOYEES IN A FACTORY.

IT'S NOT THAT ANYMORE.

WILL YOU SEE, I MEAN MAYBE A THOUSAND, MAYBE MICRON WILL HAVE SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE BUT MOST FACTORIES ARE SMALLER, MORE AUTOMATED.

MORE ROBOTICS.

THAT'S HOW THE FUTURE IS.

THIS IS REALLY GOING TO HELP THIS AREA AND THIS REGION.

>> TODAY'S FACTORIES ARE FOUR TO FIVE TIMES MORE PRODUCTIVE WITH FEWER PEOPLE.

>> AND THEY REDEPLOY PEOPLE.

THEY DON'T LET PEOPLE GO.

>> I'M CURIOUS, RANDY, THE JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

I THINK ABOUT 60, 70 YEARS AGO NOSTALGIC ABOUT THE UNION MANUFACTURING JOBS WHERE ONE PERSON COULD WORK AND SUPPORT THE ENTIRE FAMILY ON THAT SALARY.

IS THAT THE CASE WITH THESE JOBS NOW?

ARE THEY STILL LUCRATIVE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A FAMILY OR ARE THERE CONCERNS ABOUT THE WAGES AND BENEFIT ARE AVAIL AUTOMOBILE?

>>-- AVAILABLE.

>> THEY'RE FAMILY SUPPORTING JOBS AND THE SALARIES ARE KEEPING PACE WITH NEEDS.

THEY'RE HIGH TECH JOBS.

S AS WE CALL THEM, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING.

I DON'T KNOW OF ANY NON-ADVANCED MANUFACTURING JOBS IN NEW YORK STATE.

THEY'RE ALL TECHNOLOGY-BASED.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE CAN BE COMPETITIVE BUT YEAH, THESE ARE GREAT PAYING JOBS, FAMILY SUPPORTED JOBS WITH BENEFITS AND THE JOBS THAT ARE COMING HERE, THE MICRON JOBS, SUPPLY NETWORK JOBS, SOME OF THEM ARE SIX FIGURES AS TECHNICIANS SO THESE ARE GREAT BLUE COLLAR JOBS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HELP PEOPLE GET THROUGH HOW TO GET THE SKILL SETS, AT LEAST STARTING SKILL SETS.

BUT ONCE THEY'RE IN THE JOB, THEY SHOULD BE LIELY SUCCESSFUL.

>> MEDIAN SALARY IS ABOUT 10,000 ABOVE THE STATE SALARY.

>> OTHER THAN FINANCIAL SERVICES, THE AVERAGES ARE DISTORTED.

MANUFACTURING IS THE HIGHEST PAYING SECTOR.

>> I WANT TO COME BACK TO THE SUPPLY SIDE OF THINGS.

IF WE WANT TO HAVE A HIGH TECH MANUFACTURING SPACE, WE ARE GOING NEED RAW TERSE.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE SEEN BE A CONSEQUENCE OF THE FEDERAL POLICIES IS THAT SOME OF THE SOURCES FOR SOME OF THESE RAW MATERIALS ARE IN DOUBT RIGHT NOW.

SO HOW BIG OF A QUESTION MARK DOES THAT CREATE FOR OUR ABILITY TO BE IN THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SPACE MOVING FORWARD?

>> THAT'S TRICKY.

THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WORD I CAN USE.

IT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE THINGS WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT THE EFFORT, TAKE THE TIME TO TRY AND FIND THESE SOURCES.

AND IT DOESN'T HELP THINGS WITH THESE TARIFFS AND THESE COMPLICATIONS WITH GLOBAL TRADE.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE DILEMMA WITH TARIFFS.

WE ENACT TARIFFS AND THE OTHER COUNTRY ENACTS TARIFFS AND OTHER ISSUES THAT HAPPENS WHERE THEY WON'T GIVE US THIS OR WE WON'T GIVE THEM THAT.

WE HAVE TO GET PAST THAT.

FOR THE MOST PART, I THINK YOU CAN GET WHAT YOU NEED FROM A SUPPLY CHAIN STANDPOINT.

IT'S JUST WORK AND EFFORT AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, AGAIN, WHERE THESE SOURCES ARE.

AND THAT IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE FOR A LOT OF THESE COMPANIES.

>> I THINK YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WORLD TODAY.

IT'S A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS WORD THAN IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO.

WARS IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES CAN ALSO AFFECT WHERE YOU CAN SOURCE MATERIALS.

I MEAN EVERYBODY WAS UPSET THAT THE PRICE OF GAS WENT UP, BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE AND WE SAID YOU SHOULDN'T BUY RUSSIAN OIL AND THEN UKRAINE, WHICH PRODUCES 20 TO 25% OF ALL THE WHEAT IN THE WORLD, THEY WOULDN'T LET THEM SHIP THE WHEAT SO THE PRICE OF GROCERIES, BREAD AND EVERYTHING ELSE WENT UP.

LOTS OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT AFFECT HOW THE ECONOMY IS GOING TO OPERATE.

AND WE JUST HAVE TO BE VERY NIMBLE AS WE NAVIGATE THROUGH ALL OF THIS.

>> WELL YOU BROUGHT UP OIL WHICH MAKES ME THINK ABOUT ENERGY WHICH MAKES ME THINK ABOUT A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS ARE ENERGY INTENSIVE AND NEW YORK HAS SOME GOALS FOR WHERE WE ARE GOING TO GET OUR ENERGY FROM AND EFFORTS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

SO WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE STATE'S ROLE IN TRYING TO FACILITATE GREEN ENERGY FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS LIKE MICRON?

>> WELL, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY DONE, WE'VE CHARGED NYPA WITH THE ABILITY TO GO OUT AND DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE ENERGY.

>> AND THAT'S THE NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY.

>> NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY, SORRY.

AND JUST YESTERDAY OR THE DAY BEFORE, I DON'T KNOW, THE GOVERNOR STATED THAT SHE WANTED NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY TO BE INVOLVED IN BUILDING SMALL NUCLEAR PLANTS, WHICH YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHICH SIDE YOU FALL ON THAT, IT'S A GOOD THING OR A BAD-- I THINK YOU KNOW, IN THE LONG-TERM, IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD THING HOW FAST YOU CAN GET THERE IS THE BIGGEST QUESTION I HAVE.

THE THINGS YOU CAN DO AROUND WIND, SOLAR, GEOTHERMAL, OFFSHORE WIND ARE THINGS YOU KNOW YOU CAN BUILD RELATIVELY QUICKLY.

HAVE YOU TO GO AHEAD AND COMBINE THAT WITH STORAGE FACILITIESES, WHICH I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY IS, YOU KNOW, IS THERE NOW AND THE ABILITY TO BUILD THESE LARGE STORAGE FACILITIES IS THERE NOW.

SO WHILE WE ARE GOING AHEAD AND MOVING FORWARD ON THE NUCLEAR SIDE, WHICH IS MORE OF A LONG-TERM THING, I THINK WE CAN CONTINUE BUILDING THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE ENERGY THINGS, ESPECIALLY GEOTHERMAL.

WHY PEOPLE WOULDN'T UTILIZE WHAT THE EARTH IS PROVIDING FOR YOU IS BEYOND ME.

IN ALL NEW DEVELOPMENTS WHETHER IT'S HOUSING OR WHATEVER, I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER USING GEOTHERMAL BECAUSE FROM AN OPERATING STANDPOINT, ONCE YOU'VE BUILT IT, IT'S CHEAPER FOR EVERYBODY.

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE THAT AS AN ASSET WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO SELL THESE HOMES OR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, ET CETERA.

>> I CAN ADD TO THAT.

AL IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

YOU NEED ENERGY TO GROW AN ECONOMY.

WE HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY SOURCES AND DIFFERENT ENERGY SOURCES.

I'M A GREEN SUPPLY CHAIN PERSON SO I PREFER IF YOU CAN DO IT GREEN BUT THE GOVERNOR IS BEING SMART AND BEING WISE AT LOOKING AT DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENERGY, YOU CAN'T GROW YOUR ECONOMY AND YOU CAN'T GET THE COMPANIES TO COME HERE SO HAVE YOU TO PUT THESE THINGS IN PLACE.

I THINK SHE IS DOING THE RIGHT THING.

>> LET ME COMMENT, TOO, BECAUSE ENERGY WHAT IS KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT.

WE'LL SOLVE OUR WORKFORCE CHALLENGES BUT HAVING ENOUGH ENERGY-- THERE IS A CHALLENGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

WE HAVE TO BECOME A PLACE WITH ABUNDANT ENERGY.

AND ACTUALLY WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT NUCLEAR ENERGY AND I'M A FULL SUPPORTER AND SO IS MACNY IS THE ABILITY TO BRING ON SMALL MODULAR REACTORS QUICKLY.

AND THEY WILL ONTARIO IS GOING TO BRINGING THEM ON IN 18 MONTHS.

WE BRING THEM EVERY MONTH AND PUT THEM ON SUBMARINES.

SAILORS SLEEP ON THEM EVERY NIGHT.

THE REALITY IS THAT THE MODERN NUCLEAR OPPORTUNITY, IT CAN GO QUICKLY AND I'M CONVINCED IF WE DON'T HAVE BASE POWER TO GO WITH ALL OF OUR RENEWABLES, TO ME IT'S ALL OF THE ABOVE F. WE ARE GOING HAVE AN ENERGY FUTURE, IT HAS TO BE ALL THE ABOVE AND SO I DO THINK THAT IF YOU HAVE A COMPANY LIKE MICRON THAT CAN TAP INTO A SMALL MODULAR REACTOR AND GET THEIR NEEDS MET, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO BE HERE.

SO I DO THINK I'M WITH PAT ON THIS.

AL HAS SPOKEN WELL ON THIS.

WE FEED LOTS OF DIVERSE RENEWABLE ENERGIES TO MEET OUR GOALS IN FACT WE WILL NEED CARBON-FREE ENERGIES AND NUCLEAR IS ONE OF THEM.

>> I THINK THE INVESTMENTS MADE IN THE BATTERY SECTOR IN BINGHAMTON HAVE BEEN OUTSTANDING IN MOVING US FORWARD.

WE HAVE A NOBEL PRIZE WINNING LITHIUM BATTERY DOWN THERE AND A LOT OF FEDERAL AND STATE INVESTMENT MOVING FORWARD SO THAT POSITIONS US TO TAKE BETTER ADVANTAGE OF THE RENEWABLES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

>> IN ADDITION TO THE AVAILABILITY OF POWER, THE ISSUE OF HOW MUCH THE POWER COSTS.

THE NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY SUBSIDIZES POWER FOR CERTAIN BUSINESSES.

BUT I'M CURIOUS, ARE YOU HEARING FROM MANUFACTURERS AND RELATED BUSINESSES THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST OF ENERGY IN NEW YORK BECAUSE WE DO SEE, AT CONSUMERS, THERE ARE BASICALLY DE FACTO SURCHARGES ON OUR BILLS TO SUPPORT THE RENEWABLE PROJECTS.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

ENERGY IS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR MUCH OF MY CONSTITUENCY.

BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THE POWER COMPANIES HAVE DONE A REMARKABLE JOB OF SUPPORTING MANUFACTURING COMMUNITY.

BESIDE CREATING ENERGY INCENTIVES, THERE IS ALSO SITES FOR NEW PROJECTS.

AND THE THING I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER IS IT'S NOT JUST NEW YORK STATE WHERE THERE IS A SHORTAGE.

IT'S EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

ENERGY IS A BIG PROBLEM.

WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT I'M GOING TO HAVE A NEW SITE DEVELOPED, AND THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE THE POWER?

DO YOU HAVE WATER?

DO YOU HAVE ALL THAT OTHER STUFF THERE?

AND IT'S-- YOU ARE COMPETING AGAINST EVERYBODY ELSE AND EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.

SO I DON'T THINK WE ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE AT ALL WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.

AND I THINK WE'VE FOCUSED PRETTY WELL ON TRYING TO SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS.

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE PUT, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH EXACTLY $200 MILLION A YEAR ON SITE DEVELOPMENT.

SO WE THE FIRST FEW YEARS I THINK WE GOT SITES THAT WERE ALMOST DEVELOPABLE DONE NOW WE ARE AT THE HARDER ONES THAT START FROM SCRATCH.

THOSE WILL COST A LITTLE MORE MONEY AND THAT'S WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR AND HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR WE WILL SEE SOME RESULTS.

>> I WANT TO COMPLIMENT AL AND THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS AS WELL AS THE GOVERNOR.

FOCUSING ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS SOMETIMES HARD TO DO BECAUSE YOU ARE INVEST INNING THE FUTURE.

AND THAT'S WORKPLACE, IT'S ENERGY SITES, POWER UP THIS YEAR 'S INVESTMENT IN MAKING ENERGY READY SITES WILL BE REQUIRED FOR INDUSTRIAL GROWTH AND EXPANSION.

NEW YORK STATE I THINK HAS A VISION FOR THE FUTURE THAT IS GROWTH.

I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S WHY I'M OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE POLICY LEADERS, ALONG WITH PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTORS ARE SAYING WE WANT TO BE IN NEW YORK FOR ALL OF THESE REASONS.

AL IS RIGHT.

OUR CHALLENGE ON ENERGY IS EVERYBODY'S CHALLENGE.

I THINK WE CAN SOLVE THAT.

I'M CONVINCED WE CAN.

SO I'M ACTUALLY VERY OPTIMISTIC.

BUT IT WON'T BE EASY.

BUT NOTHING WORTH DOING IS EASY.

>> RANDY, ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED MANUFACTURERS.

>> OF COURSE WE ARE.

>> IN TERMS OF OUR TAX STRUCTURE, WE'VE GOT SOME PRETTY GOOD BENEFITS FOR THOSE CLASS C CORPS BUT IF I'M A SMALLER OR MEDIUM-SIGHED-- SIZED MANUFACTURER, THERE ARE ISSUES WITH PARITY.

>> WE ARE A BIG ADVOCATE FOR LEAFING THE GROUND.

WE HAVE WORKED WITH AL ON THIS.

LEVELING THE GROUND FOR ALL MANUFACTURERS.

IF YOU ARE A C CORP YOU HAVE THE BEST RATE IN THE COUNTRY WHICH MAKES THE LARGE COMPANIES WANT TO BE HERE BUT IF YOU ARE A SMALL OR MEDIUM, YOU MIGHT PAY A HIGH TAX RATE.

WE WILL FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE WE SEE, AS PAT SAYS, IF YOU WANTED TO CREATE WEALTH, CREATE A MANUFACTURING JOBS.

THE MICRON INVESTMENT FULLY INVESTED MIGHT BE 50,000 JOBS BUT THAT'S JUST THE FIRST ITERATION OVER THE 20 YEARS.

THERE WILL BE ANOTHER THREE JOBS BEYOND THAT.

SO THE REALITY IS OTHER COUNTRIES KNOW THIS, TOO.

WEALTH CREATION IS DONE THROUGH MANUFACTURING AND HIGH TECH INVESTMENT.

I THINK OUR FUTURE CAN BE BRIGHT THERE BUT WE HAVE SOME POLICY THINGS TO OVERCOME STILL.

WE ALL HAVE TO BE HONEST ABOUT THAT.

BUT I THINK OUR LEGISLATIVE LEADERS, THE GOVERNOR, IS FOCUSED ON IT.

>> WELL, I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT RANDY JUST SAID THERE, PATRICK, ABOUT THE SECONDARY JOBS, BASICALLY, AND MIKE MENTIONED EARLIER,ONE BUSINESS DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES A COUPLE MILES DOWN THE ROAD.

HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE MAXIMIZING THE SECONDARY DEVELOPMENTS AND NOT JUST PROMOTING WHAT WE WILL CALL TRICKLE DOWN MANUFACTURING THAT MAYBE DOESN'T ACTUALLY MATERIALIZE?

>> I THINK IT'S-- I WILL USE MICRON AS AN EXAMPLE.

THEY'RE SAYING NINE,000 JOBS THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BE CREATED OVER TIME.

ONCE THEY START BIDDING-- BUILDING THE CAMPUS, USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU WILL SEE COMPANIES WILL START TO CLUSTER AROUND FACTORIES LIKE THAT.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO DELIVER THINGS.

YOU ARE GOING TO BE RIGHT THERE WITH THE CAN-- WITH THE CUSTOMER.

THAT'S THE COOL THING ABOUT THIS.

THE MICRON DEVELOPMENT IS TRANSFORMATIVE FOR THIS REGION BECAUSE OTHER COMPANIES WILL LOCATE AROUND THEM AND IT'S EASE OF BUSINESS.

EASY TO TRANSACT BUSINESS, EASY TO DO BUSINESS AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE.

WE TECHNICALLY COUP SEE ANOTHER 40,000 JOBS CREATED FROM THOSE 10,000 JOBS.

SO THIS MULTIPLIER EFFECT IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE WITH THIS PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE WITH MICRON.

>> AND JUMPING ON THAT, OUR OFFICE RIGHT NOW IS A SPRAIN SPRAIN GRANT THROUGH THE FEDS.

IF YOU WANT A PRODUCT AND WANT TO FIND IT LOCALLY, CALL OUR OFFICE AND WE WILL DO THE GROUNDWORK TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

>> COMING BACK TO THE VOLATILITY; THE 2024 ELECTIONS, THE HOUSE SPEAKER MADE A LOT OF NEWS WHEN LEE CAME TO THE SYRACUSE AREA CREATE CREATING AMBIGUITY WITH THE FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR MICRON.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR MICRON RIGHT NOW?

THERE ARE THINGS YOU WANT THE TO SEE IN TERMS OF INDICATORS THAT THEY'RE STILL ON BOARD AND BEHIND THIS AND SUPPORTIVE OF THE ORIGINAL TERMS THAT WAS PUSHED THROUGH.

>> I EXPECT THEM TO MOVE FORWARD THIS YEAR.

ALL CASES-- ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION AND INDIVIDUALS HERE SOME NEW YORK STATE ARE FULL STEAM AHEAD.

I FULLY EXPECT ALL THOSE ISSUES TO BE WORKED THROUGH.

I THINK THE REALITY IS THESE THINGS DO TAKE TIME.

I EXPECT THIS TO SEE THE FAB GOING UP.

THE NICE THING ABOUT MICROCHIP INVESTMENT IS IT'S A 50 YEAR INVESTMENT.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT HALF CENTURY.

NO ONE DECOMMISSIONED A FAB.

YOU SELL TO IT SOMEBODY ELSE IF YOU ARE NOT USING IT.

EVERYBODY TIME THERE IS A FAB THAT GOES UP, LOOK AT GOEBEL FOUNDRIES AS AN EXAMPLE.

THAT COUNTS.

SO THESE INVESTMENTS ARE LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS.

SO I'M NOT EXPECTING ANY HICCUPS.

MAYBE I'M JUST BEING OPTIMISTIC BUT EVERYTHING I SEE WOULD SUGGEST MOVING FORWARD.

THE ONLY THING I WORRY ABOUT IS HOW FAST WE CAN MOVE.

WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE PERMITTING.

WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND TAKE CARE OF THE RIGHT PROCEDURES BUT NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY FOR INVESTMENT AND I THINK THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE HAS TO GET USED TO GROWTH AGAIN.

FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN'T TAKE YOU 10 YEARS TO APPROVE A NUCLEAR FACILITY.

IT HAS TO BE DONE 18 MONTHS.

SO WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY WE DO THINGS IN A GROWTH ECONOMY VERSUS ONE THAT IS FLATTER.

TO ME IT'S THE SPEED IN WHICH WE CAN DO THINGS THAT COULD SLOW US DOWN FROM AN INVESTMENT STANDPOINT.

>> SO I WANT TO COME BACK TO THE IDEA OF SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANUFACTURING HUER IN HERE IN NEW YORK AND SUBSIDIES ARE AN ATTRACTIVE TOOL FOR ATTRACTING AND RETAINING BUSINESSES.

ARE THERE SUBSIDIES THAT YOU ARE MORE INCLINED TO SUPPORT THAN OTHERS?

FOR EXAMPLE, DOES BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE MAKE MORE SENSE THAN SAY OFFERING 20-YEAR TAX BREAK.

HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF INVESTMENT AND CONVERSELY OUR BANG FOR OUR BUCK?

>> I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT COMPANIES ARE LOOKING FOR, OBVIOUSLY THEY RATHER WOULD HAVE GRANTS THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

>> THEY'LL TAKE ANYTHING.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> ASK FOR THE WORD.

>> VERY PRAGMATIC.

>> BUT WE TRY TO HAVE A BALANCE BETWEEN GRANTS, TAX CREDITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

BECAUSE YOU ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO DRIVE PEOPLE TO DO THE THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO.

AND THAT WAY, YOU HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER THE PROCESS.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE RED SEA GRANTS AND TAX CREDITS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR IS THIS, 13 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

WE WILL SEE THAT AGAIN AND THOSE HELP SMALLER BUSINESSES MORE THAN LARGE BUSINESSES.

IN PARTICULAR, THE MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANIES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE SYRACUSE REGION, ARE THE TYPES THAT WILL GET, YOU KNOW,TWO OR THREE MILLION DOLLAR GRANT AND MAYBE A $2 MILLION OF TAX CREDITS FOR A PROJECT WHEN THEY BUILD A NEW ADDITION OR BRING IN SOME REALLY BIG EQUIPMENT THAT'S GOING TO MAKE THEM MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE COMPETITIVE IN THE WORLD MARKET.

ALL THOSE THINGS GET TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.

I'M SURE THAT COMPANIES IN GENERAL WOULD LIKE MANY MORE GRANTS.

BUT YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO HELP AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND ALSO THERE IS A LOT OF LOW INTEREST LOANS, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH THE ATMOSPHERE WHEN YOU ARE 7.25% INTEREST RATES, IF YOU CAN GIVE SOMEBODY A 3% LOAN, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD, TOO.

SO WE ARE GOING TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO HELP OUT WHILE BALANCING THAT AGAINST ALL THE OTHER THINGS THE STATE NEEDS IN ORDER TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

>> PATRICK, IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE ALMOST PLAYING CATCH-UP TO A CERTAIN DEGREE.

I THINK ABOUT THE INNOVATION IN SILICON VALLEY WHERE THEY'RE CREATING 20, EFFICIENT, 40 YEARS AGO A NEW TECHNOLOGY FROM SCRATCH.

THEY ARE THE FORERUNNERS FROM THAT.

NOW NO NEW YORK AND ELSEWHERE WE TALK ABOUT CHIP MANUFACTURING, IT'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE LATEST CRAZE.

SO ARE WE DOING ENOUGH TO PROMOTE SOME SORT OF NEXT GENERATION MANUFACTURING?

ARE WE DOING ENOUGH TO HELP THAT GUY IN THEIR GARAGE SO TO SPEAK OR SHOULD OUR FOCUS BE ON THESE PROVEN DEVELOPMENTS LIKE CHIP MANUFACTURING?

>> YEAH, I THINK YOU GOT TO DO BOTH, RIGHT?

I THINK THE KEY THING-- AND THIS IS PROBABLY WHERE YOU WOULD WANT TO FOCUS YOUR EFFORT, THE MICRON, THE CHIP MANUFACTURING LIKE RANDY SAID.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE THERE FOR 50 YEARS, RIGHT?

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE CAN HELP THOSE INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS, AND THERE ARE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP SMALL COMPANIES TRY TO BECOME THE NEXT , YOU KNOW, MICRON.

SO I THINK HAVE YOU TO DO BOTH AND I THINK IF YOU DO BOTH AND HAVE THE TWO-PRONG APPROACH, THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO AGAIN MAKE SURE THIS REGION AND THIS AREA, YOU KNOW, KEEPS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

>> I THINK BIO LOGICS IS ANOTHER AREA THAT NEW YORK STATE IS HEAVILY INVESTED IN AND THAT'S SOMETHING FUTURE.

WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB WITH THAT.

WE HAVE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE HERE AND YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THAT.

WE ARE SEE SOMETHING PRETTY GOOD RETURNS.

I KNOW THERE ARE GOING TO BE TWO OR THREE MAJOR SHOWS IN NEW YORK STATE THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, DOWN IN THE CITY.

I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO HAVE ONE SOMEWHERE IN THE UPSTATE REGION AND MAYBE IN THE HUDSON VALLEY.

TO BRING ALL THE DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT WORK IN THIS SPACE TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT EVERYBODY IS DOING, TRY TO CROSS POLLINATE AND HELP EACH OTHER OUT.

I THINK IT ALSO BRINGS INVESTORS IN.

SO THEY GET TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHERE THEY CAN MAKE INVESTMENTS AND GET THE BEST RETURNS.

>> GOOD THING ABOUT NEW YORK IS YOU HAVE MANY MANUFACTURING HUBS ALREADY IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR SPACE EVEN BEFORE WE SEE THE MASSIVE INVESTMENTS.

WE'VE GOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF COMPANIES ALREADY, CLOSE TO 150 COMPANIES, 33,000 INDIVIDUALS ALREADY IN THAT SPACE.

SOON WE WILL HAVE ONE IN FOUR MICROCHIP MADE WITHIN 350 MILES OF OUR COMMUNITIES.

THAT'S ONE IN PARTICULAR.

CHIPS ARE USING EVERYTHING TO INCLUDE BIOLOGICS, HOW DO WE USE A.I., HOW DO WE ACTUALLY USE THESE.

SO I THINK NEW YORK STATE HAS INVESTED IN MANY TECHNOLOGIES, NOT JUST MICROCHIPS.

BIOLOGICS, THEY'RE MAKING A BIG MASSIVE INVESTMENT.

SO THE REALITY IS, AND WE GOT TTM THAT IS GOING HAVE A THOUSAND NEW WORKERS HERE IN REALLY THE AIR DEFENSE SPACE-- AERODEFENSE SPACE AND RADAR DEFENSE SPACE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF INDUSTRIES HERE AND THE AVERAGE SIZED MANUFACTURER IS LESS THAN 20 PEOPLE.

SO BACK TO PAT'S POINT, HAVE YOU TO DO BOTH.

YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN GROWING ONES AND HAVE YOU TO INVEST IN PROVEN ONES AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CHALLENGE.

YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE LARGE COMPANIES THAT DOESN'T DRIVE THE OVERALL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY THAT WE WOULD MISS IF WE DON'T HAVE SMALL COMPANIES.

>> WAIT, ALSO, UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS.

WE ARE HUGE IN UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS HERE.

YOU ARE JUST GOING THROUGH A 32 MILLION-DOLLAR MAKEOVER OF THE TECH GARDEN, WHAT IS IT CALLED NOW?

INSPIRE...

BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE ONLY TEST SPACE WHERE YOU DON'T NEED LINE OF SIGHT TO TEST YOUR DRONES, YOU CAN ACTUALLY LOOK ON A SCREEN AND THERE ARE SENSORS BETWEEN HERE AND ROME, NEW YORK, WHERE YOU CAN FLY THESE THINGS.

AND WE HAVE NEW AIR, WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE AIRPORT NOW THAT IS WORKING WITH DOZENS OF COMPANIES.

BOTH THOSE IN NEW YORK, INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES ARE COMING OVER BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS WHERE THAT STUFF IS HAPPENING.

AND WE ARE GETTING COMPANIES TO KIM AND LOCATE HERE.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER BIG DEAL.

>> ONE OF THE SMALLER INVESTMENTS THAT I THINK IS WORTH HIGHLIGHTING BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WHEN YOU ARE TRAINING ON A NEW TECHNOLOGY, THERE OFTEN IS NO PROGRAM, THERE IS NO SCHOOL SO HOW DO YOU GET FOLKS TRAINED?

ANOTHER TRAINING WILL COME OUT OF SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS.

WITH THE LOCAL WORKFORCE SUPPORT HERE, IF YOU ARE A COMPANY WITH LESS THAN 50 PEOPLE, AND YOU WANT TO TRAIN YOUR FOLKS, THEY'LL COVER 90% OF THE COST TO SEND YOUR FOLKS TO GO TO SCHOOL.

SEEING THE INVESTMENT FROM A LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD IN TRAINING EXISTING WORKERS AND SUPPLYING THAT AND THE OJT MONEY IF YOU WANT TO HIRE SOMEBODY NOT FULLY QUALIFIED, THEY WILL HELP SUBSIDIZE THE SALARIES FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS.

THESE ARE SMALLER INVESTMENTS THAT GET THE SPOTLIGHT BUT HUGE IN DRIVING THE SMALLER COMPANIES IN OUR AREA.

>> WE ARE RECORDING THIS THE DAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT IS COMING OUT FOR MICRON, WHICH MAKES ME THINK ABOUT JUST THE OVERALL EXPERIENCES NAVIGATING THE STATE'S ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW PROCESS AND TRYING TO MEET THE DIFFERENT STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS.

AND MIKE, AGAIN, AS SOMEONE TALKING WITH BUSINESSES, WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE?

DO PENAL FEEL THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS-- DO PEOPLE FEEL THE REVIEW POLICY IS OVER BURDENSOME OR IT COULD BE EASIER.

>> THE MOMENT IT SLOWS THEM DOWN, THEY FEEL IT IS OVERLY BURDENSOME.

I THINK ABSOLUTELY FOR SOME FOLKS, ESPECIALLY FOR LARGER INVESTMENTS BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU FLIP THE OTHER SIDE, DO YOU LIKE LIVING IN A STATE WITH CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER, NOBODY SAYS NO TO THAT EITHER.

>> WE HEAR FROM SOME BUSINESSES THAT THIS PROCESS CAN BE CONFUSING.

THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE IT.

AND OTHER PLAYERS GET THEIR HAND HELD BASICALLY BY THE STATE THROUGH IT.

AND IT KIND OF SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE WINNERS AND LOSERS WHEN IT COMES TO THAT PROCESS.

IS THAT STATUS QUO OKAY?

SHOULD THERE BE AN OVERHAUL?

DOES EVERYONE NEED TO GET THAT RED CARPET TREATMENT?

>> I DO THINK THAT WE THEY'D TO SIMPLIFY AND MAKE IT QUICKER AND SIMPLER TO COMPLY.

THE REALITY IS I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE WE WANT GREAT STANDARDS.

BUT WE WILL PROBABLY NEED TO INVEST IN STAFF, AT THE DEC NYSERDA AND OTHER PLACES BECAUSE THE REQUESTS HAVE GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY.

I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE INVESTMENTS AND NEW YORK STATE WILL NEED TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE WE THEY'D TO GO QUICKER.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS TO SKIP ANY STEPS BUT WE NEED TO GO QUICKER.

THE PUBLIC HAS TO BE INVOLVED, PUBLIC COMMENTS PERIODS.

THERE IS NOT A WAY TO DO IT OVERNIGHT.

THAT WOULD BE EVERYBODY'S DESIRE BUT THE REALITY IS YOU CAN'T BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE IT SHORTER, QUICKER, MORE EFFECTIVE.

I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON THAT.

I THINK WE JUST NEED TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN THAT SPACE IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE QUICKLY GO THROUGH PROCESS REDESIGN, SOME NEW PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THOSE SPACES?

I THINK THOSE ARE GOING TO BE NECESSARY.

INDUSTRY DOES IT ALL THE TIME.

AND I THINK GOVERNMENTS NOW WILL HAVE TO MOVE QUICK QUICKER IN APPROVING INVESTMENT SPACE.

>> ANYTHING THE STATE CAN DO?

>> WELL,... YOU KNOW, I PASSED A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THIS YEAR THAT HAS THE EXECUTIVE CHAMBER AND ALL THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES TO A REVIEW OF THE INTERCONNECT PROCESS TO BRING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES ONLINE TO THE GRID, WHICH IS TAKES WAY TOO LONG RIGHT NOW TO DO.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE TRYING TO CUT THINGS DOWN FROM LIKE EIGHT YEARS DOWN TO MAYBE LIKE TWO TO TWO AND A HALF.

IT'S IN THE SAME LINE OF WHAT HE IS SAYING.

>> IT IS.

>> AND WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.

HE IS RIGHT.

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT GOING TO LET ANYBODY SKIP IN I STEPS.

BUT THERE SHOULDN'T BE THE ABILITY TO JUST DELAY, DELAY, DELAY ALL THE TIME.

YOU GET YOUR TIME, MAKE YOUR POINTS AND HOPEFULLY IF YOU ARE CORRECT ABOUT SOME THINGS, THEY WILL BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WE'LL MAKE SOME MODIFICATIONS BUT THEN WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON.

>> YES.

>> AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY WAY WE ARE GOING TO DO ALL OF THIS BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE'VE GOT THE BIG GORILLA AND WE JUST HAVE SO MUCH STUFF TO DO INFRASTRUCTURE WISE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THAT IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO BE EASY DOING IT THE OLD WAY.

>> YEAH, I AGREE WITH WHAT AL IS SAYING AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY FROM A NEW YORK STATE POINT, ALL THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.

LIKE RANDY SAID, IF WE CAN KIND OF DO THIS FASTER, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEIZE MORE OPPORTUNITIES BUT IF WE SLOW PROCESS DOWN, THEN THAT'S WHEN, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES WILL GO AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT BETTER, THOSE PROCESSES.

>> I WANT TO COME BACK TO THE ISSUE OF TARIFFS.

PATRICK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE IN STORE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, DOES IT SEEMS LIKE NEW YORK ULTIMATELY WOULD HAVE A NET BENEFIT FROM TARIFFS BECAUSE WE MIGHT BE THE ONES MAKING THESE ITEMS THAT NOW COST MORE IF THEY'RE COMING FROM OVERSEAS OR POISED TO BE A NET LOSER?

OR DOES IT ALL KIND OF EVEN OUT IN THE WASH?

>> ALL RIGHT, SO HOLISTICALLY, I LIKE FREE TRADE.

I DON'T LIKE TARIFFS.

BUT TARIFFS ARE NEEDED TO PROTECT CERTAIN INDUSTRIES AND RIGHT SOME INJUSTICES THAT OTHER GOVERNMENTS ARE PLACING ON US.

I CAN SEE HOW THAT CAN MAKE SENSE.

>> CAN IT BE DONE THAT WAY?

NOTHING IS DONE WITH A VACUUM?

>> YEAH, I THINK HISTORY HAS SHOWN US WHEN YOU HAVE GONE AND PUT MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF TARIFFS, IT WILL SLOW DOWN WORLD TRADE AND REPERCUSSIONS OF THAT.

WHERE YOU GET RECESSIONS.

THAT NEVER WORKS OUT WELL AND THAT'S AGAIN, JUST HISTORICALLY.

IF LIEU CAN AT PAST HISTORY, IT TELLS YOU A STORY.

THIS ISN'T A GOOD PATH THAT WE SHOULD BE GOING DOWN.

AGAIN, IT MAKES SENSE TO PROTECT CERTAIN INDUSTRIES AND PROTECT CERTAIN AREAS OR ISSUES.

BUT I THINK FOR THE MOST PART, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

I THINK NEW YORK IS FINE.

IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TARIFFS, I THINK NEW YORK WOULD FLOURISH AND AGAIN YOU LOOK AT TRADING PARTNERS, CANADA, MEXICO, AND CHINA, YOU KNOW, CANADA AND MEXICO, THERE IS ABUNDANCE OF TRADE WE CAN HAVE.

WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE BARRIERS OR ISSUES.

WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO AGAIN HAVE MORE TRADE AND FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY WE CAN MAKE A LOT OF MONEY ON, THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, BIOLOGICS.

MEDICAL DEVICES.

THOSE ARE THE SPACES THAT WE SHOULD BE PLAYING IN AND I THINK THAT WOULD HELP IMMENSELY AND I THINK THIS AREA WOULD GROW AND FLOOR GLISH I MEAN WE-- FLOURISH.

>> I MEAN WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT DIFFERENT COUNTRYIES, THE UNITED STATES OPPOSED TO OTHER COUNTRIES, WE HAVE RELATIVE OR ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGES.

TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGES ARE THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN GET IT IS OVER HERE.

AND WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO EVERYTHING HERE.

AND ACTUALLY, FROM THE LONG RUN, THAT MAKES MORE SENSE, TOO, BECAUSE WE WANT THE REST OF THE WORLD TO BE OKAY, TOO THERE ARE LESS WARS WHEN EVERYBODY IS OKAY AND HAS JOBS AND HAS A HOUSE TO LIVE IN AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO IF YOU REALLY WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN DO HERE AND WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.

AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE SOME OF, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMY TO PEOPLE IN OTHER PLACES, TOO.

>> I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO SPEND $4,000 ON AN IPHONE OR $80 ON A T-SHIRT YOU.

>> MIGHT WITH A T-SHIRT.

>> YOU'VE SEEN WHAT I WEAR IN THE CAPITOL SOMETIMES.

IT DEFINITELY WAS A FREE SHIRT I GOT FROM RUNNING A RACE.

COMING BACK TO THE ATTITUDES OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK BUSINESSES, TARIFFS, GENERAL AMBIGUITY, WORLD SUPPLY ANXIETY.

>> IT'S A CASE BY CASE.

WE HAVE A SMALL MANUFACTURER WHO MAKES DC MOTORS HERE.

HE IS INCREDIBLY EXCITED ABOUT THE TARIFFS.

ONE OF THE FEW MOTOR MANUFACTURERS LEFT.

MOST HAVE GONE TO CHINA.

FOR HIM RIGHT NOW, HE IS LOOKING FOR EXPANSION INTO AN A.C. LINE AND GREAT.

FOLKS IN OSWEGO HAVE DONE LAYOFFS IN ANTICIPATION OF STEEL PRICES.

IT'S A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

>> I EVERY COMPANY IS LOOKING AT WHAT THE SUPPLY CHAINS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.

THE CHALLENGES SHORT-TERM, THERE COULD BE SOME REAL PAIN FOR SOME COMPANIES.

OTHER COMPANIES ARE SEEING GROWTH.

YOU KNOW, THE REALITY IS THE U.S. HAS HAD HISTORICALLY OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS, REALLY LOW TARIFFS LIKE 2% ON AVERAGE.

SO REALITY IS WE HAVE BEEN PRETTY MUCH THE WORLD TRADER.

THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO CREEP UP.

MAYBE IT'S GOING TO BE 10%.

MAYBE IT'S GOING TO BE 15%.

SO OPENING MARKETS IS IMPORTANT.

I LOOK AT THE OVERALL TRENDS.

RESHOREING IS A REAL THING.

IT'S HAPPENING FOR ALL THE RIGHT ECONOMIC REASONS I THINK LIT SETTLE DOWN.

BUT I ACTUALLY AGREE THAT WORLD TRADE WHAT IS WE WANT.

WE DO NEED SOME COUNTRIES TO CHANGE THEIR POLICIES.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT OR NOT BUT WE DO NEED SOME OF THAT.

BUT WE LIVE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

OUR COMPANIES ARE ADJUSTING AND MY SENSE IS THEY'RE SAVVY ENOUGH TO DO IT BUT THERE WILL BE SOME WINNERS AND LOSERS.

WE ARE SEEING THAT AMONGST OUR MEMBERS AS WELL.

SO STAY TUNED, LIKE WE ALL DO RIGHT NOW.

OPEN OUR NEWS APPS IN THE MORNING AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING.

BUT THE REALITY IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE FUNDAMENTALS, WE HAVE THE STRONGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD STILL.

YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, EVEN BORROWING RATES ARE STILL VERY REASONABLE EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE HIGHER THAN THEY WERE.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ARE 4% IN MOST PLACES AND SPACES, STILL, SO WE HAVE A VERY STRONG FUNDAMENTALS FOR THIS COUNTRY AND THAT'S WHY OUR GROWTH IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

BUT THE WORLD IS A DANGEROUS PLACE.

THERE WILL BE CHANGES.

I THINK WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY INTO THE FUTURE.

>> I HAVE PASSED A BILL FOR, I THINK IS THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, TRYING TO GET EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT TO CREATE A WEBSITE WITH A DATABASE THAT LISTS ALL THE COMPANIES IN NEW YORK STATE AND WHAT THEY MANUFACTURE; WHAT THEY MAKE.

THE GOVERNOR KEEPS VETOING IT SAYING IT IS DUPLICATIVE.

I'M LIKE SHOW ME HOW IT IS.

THEY SHOWED ME A WEBSITE AND A DATABASE.

AND IT SHOWS WHAT PEOPLE IN NEW YORK SELL.

THAT'S NOT THAT THEY MAKE IT HERE.

THEY SELL IT.

AND I SAID THAT'S NOT THE SAGE THING.

IF YOU WANT TO HELP PEOPLE FIND LOCAL SUPPLIERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU GOT TO LIST JUST WHAT THEY MAKE AND WE'LL SEE IF SHE LETS IT GO THROUGH THIS YEAR.

>> AND UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO THE LOCAL MEP CENTER AND THEY CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR THEM.

>> DOES THERE NEED TO BE MORE NOT JUST REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY BUT STATEWIDE CONNECTIVITY, MIKE?

>> LIKE I SAID, THE MEP SYSTEM, 10 REGIONAL OFFICES AND WE COME TOGETHER VIA CONFERENCE, SHARE TALENT AND INTEL.

SO I THINK WE ARE PRETTY REASONABLY WELL CONNECTED.

AND WITHIN THAT NETWORK WE ARE VERY WELL CONNECTED WITH OUR LOCAL IDAS, LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD, MACNY, THE MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE PT.

SO I BELIEVE THE COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE STATE IS EXCELLENT.

>> WE HAVE BEEN TALKING PRIMARILY THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE LENS.

SHOULD WE BE THINKING MORE REGIONALLY AS WELL?

SHOULD WE BE THINKING ABOUT THE NORTHEAST MANUFACTURING OR FROM A NEW YORK PERSPECTIVE, DO WE WANT THINGS WITHIN OUR BORDERS?

>> YEAH, I THINK OBVIOUSLY IF YOU ARE IN NEW YORK, YOU PREFER IT WITHIN YOUR BORDERS IF YOU CAN BUT AGAIN IF YOU LOOK JUST AT THE RESOURCES WE HAVE, LIKE ONE OF THE LARGEST FRESH WATER SUPPLIES IN THE WORLD IN THIS AREA RIGHT, THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT CANS ATTRACT INDUSTRY, SPECIFICALLY SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING.

WE HAVE OTHER THINGS IN THE NORTHEAST.

BUT FOR NEW YORK, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO FOCUS WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER.

TO BE SELFISH, BUT I THINK OVERALL THERE IS A LOT TO BE GAINED HERE: WEATHER, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S NOT AS HOT AS OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AND AREAS.

WATER, OTHER THINGS, RIGHT?

WE'VE GOT A GREAT UNIVERSITY NETWORK WHICH IS INCREDIBLE UP AND DOWN THE THRU-WAY.

>> PRIMARY SCHOOLS, SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THERE IS A LOT TO OFFER.

I'M EXCITED BECAUSE I THINK INFRASTRUCTURE WISE IT'S STARTING TO GROW.

WE ARE STARTING TO CHANGE AND WE ARE STARTING TO MAKE THE RIGHT, I THINK, MOVES INTO TO ATTRACT INDUSTRIES TO COME TO NEW YORK.

>> AND WE GOT A COUPLE MINUTES LEFT, RANDY, WHAT ARE THE INDICATORS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR IN THE NEXT SAY SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR THAT THINGS ARE MOVING OR CONTINUING TO MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WHETHER IT'S MICRON OR THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR MORE BROADLY.

>> I THINK WE SHOULD ALL LOOK AT THE ANNOUNCED, WITH THE ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, OPENING PRODUCTION.

LOOK FOR MICRON TO PUT STEEL IN THE GROUND.

LOOK FOR THE PRODUCTS.

>> DELAYED A FEW TIMES.

>> SO THE REALITY IS ONCE THESE PROJECTS BECOME REAL AND PEOPLE ARE HIRING LIKE TTM, THEY'RE BUILDING THAT FACILITY.

THEY WILL HIRE A THOUSAND WORKERS.

SO THAT'S REAL.

I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THOSE OUTCOMES AND WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT OVER THE LAST PERIOD OF TIME.

THINGS THAT SPEED INVESTMENT, ALLOW US TO HIRE PEOPLE AND NOT SORT OF BURY OUR CHALLENGES.

WE HAVE REAL CHALLENGES LIKE EVERYBODY.

BUT TOGETHER, I THINK WE SOLVE THOSE.

I'M LOOKING FOR WHO IS HIRING, YOU KNOW, WHAT JOBS ARE AVAILABLE.

WHO ARE THEY PRODUCING TO AND PRODUCING FOR.

I THINK THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT I WILL BE LOOKING FOR.

AND THEN GROWTH IN WORKFORCE, GROWTH IN POPULATION.

THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THOSE OUTCOMES BUT PART OF THAT IS PROCESS.

LIKE YOU MENTIONED TODAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT COMING OUT FOR MICRON.

THAT'S A BIG DEAL.

NOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ONCE THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

IT'S NOT A SMALL TASK TO GET THAT SOUT AND TO REALLY FOCUS ON GETTING PUBLIC FEEDBACK.

I THINK LOOK FOR ACTIVITIES THAT SHOW GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN INVESTMENT AND LOOK FOR THE ACTUAL PROJECTS WITH THE HIRING AND PRODUCTION.

I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I LOOK FOR?

>> AND IS THIS ALL GOING TO COME WITH SOME SORT OF GREAT RENAISSANCE OF CULTURE AROUND MANUFACTURING?

ARE WE GOING TO GET LIKE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SONGS.

>> WE ARE HOPING.

>> I DON'T THINK IT WILL HAVE THE SAME RING.

>> IT WON'T BE THE SAME WITH ADVANCED MANUFACTURING OPPOSED TO A GUY WORKING ON CARS NECESSARILY.

>> BUT IT IS, THE NICE THING IT IS IT IS A RENAISSANCE FOR THE AREA AND IT WILL EMPLOY A LOT OF PEOPLE AND THEY WILL GET GREAT WAGES AND YOU WILL SEE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, I THINK, IMPROVE IMMENSELY.

THAT'S EXCITING NEWS.

>> THE 5,000 CONSTRUCTION JOBS FOR 20 YEARS.

>> THAT CAN BE THE NEXT EPISODE DISWHRO THAT CAN BE A SONG.

>> I WAS GOING WRITE THAT SONG.

>> WE ARE OUT OF TIME TODAY.

SO NO MUSICAL PERFORMANCES.

MY THANKS TO OUR PANELISTS, ASSEMBLYMAN AL STIRPE, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR PATRICK PENFIELD, RANDY WOLKEN, HEAD OF MACNY, THE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, AND T-D-O BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER MIKE METZGAR.

AND IF YOU WANT MORE CONNECT NEW YORK CONTENT VISIT WCNY.ORG/CORRECTNEW YORK AND CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE PAGE.

AND FOR MORE POLITICAL COVERAGE, INCLUDING MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH RANDY AND AL, YOU CAN FIND ME AT CAPITOL PRESS ROOM.ORG.

OR WHEREVER YOU DOWNLOAD PODCASTS.

ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE TEAM AT WCNY - I'M DAVID LOMBARDO - THANKS FOR WATCHING.