AZ Manufacturing Company Newest Tenant At Future SUNYIT Tech Park

Marcy, NY (WIBX) - Another installment of progress. That's what state and local officials are calling the latest developments surrounding the Nanotechnology Center at SUNYIT. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says the cross regional partnership between SUNYIT and the College of Nanoscale Science and Technology at University of Albany, is steadily leading to economic growth in the Mohawk Valley. Silver said, "Well, this morning I'm delighted to announce that Valutek, the global leader in the development and provision of clean room supplies, will be relocating its corporate headquarters, quality testing laboratory, and its specialized manufacturing and distribution center from Phoenix, Arizona to SUNYIT."

Also, early next year, nfrastructure, the nano-tech center's first future tenant, will establish its Upstate New York Command Center at the college. Chairman and CEO, Daniel T. Pickett said a lot of work has taken place over the past year to get ground forces in place to start to execute the strategy highlighted in previous development announcements. Picket said, "We've hired a General Manager that's running NCCIT. We've got a couple of additional resources on the ground--one running our end user services business and then one running our technical staffing business. And, we're also  moving some key functions out here that are going to start taking place in the first quarter."

Also, Pickett adds that his company is in the process of building 2,000 sq ft of space at SUNYIT in anticipation of the construction project that's scheduled to start soon. He says that will lead to the opening of a Command Center that will serve as a networking systems operations center. "And we expect to have that operational early in the first quarter, [of 2012]. What it's going to do is, if you think about what we've announced, it's going to now have people on the ground, have infrastructure in place so we can start to roll business in, which is going to mean jobs--you know, the jobs that we talked about last year."

SUNYIT President, Dr. Wolf Yeigh says the announcements reflects another step toward getting the college's nano-technology complex build. "This is an important step because we're not just building a shell, we're recruiting, we're creating partnerships with these corporations and industry partners now, even before you see the first structure for nano-technology on the campus. So, the two will converge into creating enterprise that you see currently at CNSE in Albany," he said. Yeigh also alluded to similar future announcement as the area's nano-tech center continues to develop.

Greg Highland, President and CEO of Valutek says there are a number of benefits moving his company from Phoenix, AZ to upstate, NY. "One of them is, historically, we've been a west coast company most of our market strength has been in the west coast and so having an east coast headquarters and an east coast presence, I think is going to give us more credibility with the customer base out here, give us closer access to those customers, so we always look at being a close source to those customers," Highland said.

He says the move will allow Valutek to maintain its three montras--Control, Convenience and Value. "So, what we mean by control as a corporate value is that our products be consistent. Being partnered with CNSE and having an independent lab there, gives us the assurance of a second party to help make sure our products are in control. Our second value is Convenience, being accessible to clients, being in this market means that we're going to be accessible. Then the value is, we do something that's called disinter-mediation, by disinter-mediation is we build and foster a direct relationship with the client and then we give the clients numerous options for how they can buy products," Highland said.

Valutek's move to the region would mean the creation of 25 jobs. Also, nfrastructure--which currently occupies space at SUNYIT--through the establishment of its Upstate New York Command Center in early 2012, will mean the creation of 160 full and part time jobs. Officials say 10 of those jobs will be filled during the first quarter of 2012.