News
Padre’s Table Ribbon Cutting
Posted on July 29, 2007

The official opening of the new soup kitchen at St. John’s United Church of Christ was scheduled for Thursday, March 1, 2007 but Rev. Kinton wanted to get the word out beforehand to encourage more folks to come out. Representatives from the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce were on hand to help celebrate with an official ribbon cutting ceremony.
Padre’s Table, housed at St. John’s United Church of Christ located at 608 Centerline Rd. in Strykersville, is a new lunch program open to all senior citizens. Lunch will be serviced from 11:30am - 1:30pm on the first and third Thursday of the month, now through June. I will be closed during July and August and will reopen again in September serving lunch every Thursday of the month.
Volunteers from area churches and other organizations will staff the kitchen. According to Rev. Kinton, “the kitchen is run solely by donations and volunteer help.” Those interested in helping can contact Rev. Kinton at 716-693-8631.
Rev. Kinton had made keeping the elderly connected to the church in as many ways as possible, an important goal of his since his time in the seminary and he sees Padre’s Table as one way of accomplishing this.
“Rev. Kinton is one of the Chamber’s most active members. He comes to networking luncheons, business after hours, and any other chamber sponsored activity that gives him the opportunity to talk to others about his church. We are happy to see the soup kitchen operating and we commend Rev. Kinton for opening such a needed facility,” stated Chamber Executive Director James Pierce.
Empire Distributing Ribbon Cutting
Posted on July 29, 2007

Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce officials were on hand to help celebrate the opening of one of Wyoming County’s newest companies, Empire Distributing.
“It was just over a year ago that the Chamber reached out to company officials regarding their expansion into Wyoming County,” stated Chamber Executive Director James Pierce. The family owned company that distributes fireplaces, stoves and accessories had outgrown its Holland, NY location. The Chamber and IDA assisted the company with an expansion project on Rt. 98 in Arcade. In April 2006 the company broke ground on its new 75,000 sq. foot building and completed the project by May 2007. The additional space provided as a result of the expansion will allow Empire Distributing to add other lines of product and expand its market.
“Wyoming County is fortunate to have a company such as Empire Distributing making this type of investment in the county. We are pleased to welcome them,” stated Pierce. �Their project has helped to retain 13 jobs in the area and will create 7-10 new jobs over the next three years, continued Pierce.”
According to Mike Rupp of Empire Distributing, “Out of all the areas that we looked at to expand our business, the town of Arcade seemed to offer the most as regards to available land and possible railroad siding facilities. The piece of property purchased is also large enough for future expansion. Being from the area, we are familiar with many of the local businesses and so many of the residents have already been some of our long time customers. It seemed to be the right thing to do to call Arcade the new home of Empire Distributing.”
Summer 2007 Newsletter
Posted on July 29, 2007
Perry ATTAIN Center to Open in the Former Perry Elementary School
Posted on July 26, 2007
The State University of New York University Center for Academic and Workforce Development (UCAWD) has been working for the past couple of years to bring an ATTAIN (Advanced Technology Training and Information Networking) Center to the former Perry Elementary School. UCAWD will officially open the new Center in the next couple of months following a search for a Lab Manager.
ATTAIN is a Statewide technology based employment and training initiative funded by the New York State Legislature. ATTAIN provides communities access to new technologies, education, and technology training. ATTAIN also provides Local Departments of Social Services an opportunity to increase their TANF/FA and TANF 200% participation rates. The new ATTAIN Center in Perry will provide Wyoming County residents with access to a state-of-the-art computer lab as well as personalized pre-employment and job readiness training.
“Perry and Wyoming County are extremely fortunate to have access to an ATTAIN Center,” stated Chamber Executive Director James Pierce. “Access to computers and job readiness training is vitally important to a rural workforce. We will keep the public updated on the progress of the Center.”
Business Expansion Projects Bring Economic Growth to Wyoming County
Posted on July 26, 2007
Three companies recently announced expansion projects that will mean significant investment, growth and jobs in the county.
Over the past year, the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and the Wyoming County IDA have been working with Blue Seal Feeds, Koike Aronson and Empire Distributing on major expansion projects.
Blue Seal Feeds announced expansion plans in October for its Arcade facility. Blue Seal Feeds is manufacturer and distributor of a wide variety of animal feed products. The project will include building a new 60,000 sq. ft. warehouse next to the company’s existing facility in Arcade. The project is expected to create 25 good paying jobs over the next three years and retain 45 existing jobs. “We are very excited to be announcing our facilities expansion here in Arcade, New York,” said Blue Seal Feeds President Randy Schwalke. “Our business is growing and we searched several different locations for this investment. In the end, between the outstanding workforce in Arcade and the incentives provided through New York State and Wyoming County, the choice became clear. We would like to thank Governor Pataki and his team at Empire State Development along with the Wyoming County Economic Development Team for their support in this effort.”
Koike Aronson announced expansion plans in July that will include establishing a show room/auditorium for their products and expanding their production area. Koike, located in Arcade, is a manufacturer of welding positioners and metal cutting machines. The proposed project will create 14 new jobs. “The Wyoming County Chamber has been a great resource for Koike Aronson,” said Koike President and CEO Gerald Leary. “They were involved from the beginning with our recent commitment to expand our facility in Arcade that will help retain existing jobs and create new ones in the county. Their experience, knowledge and coordination of programs and resources greatly helps to ease the burden of new capital expenditures and investments.”
And, finally Empire Distributing is constructing a 75,000 sq. ft. building on Rt. 98 in Arcade. The family owned company is a distributor of fireplaces, stoves and accessories that outgrew their location in Holland, New York. The additional room will allow the business to add another line of products and expand their market. The project will retain 13 jobs in the area and create 7-10 new jobs over the next three years. Company officials chose the Wyoming County location due to its lower property taxes and utility rates. The Wyoming County Industrial Development Agency is providing incentives to the project.
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