Accelerate your Start Up Company in Buffalo Niagara

Niagara Food Specialties (NFS), incorporated in 2001, is a food processor, distributor and wholesaler, specializing in the production of prosciutto ham for the foodservice (restaurants & hotels) industry and gourmet retail markets. NFS adds value to raw pork, producing artisanal quality charcuterie, including prosciutto, capicola, pancetta, salami, guanciale, and sausage. This family operated business is currently headquartered in Niagara Falls, ON. NFS began to investigate US expansion when they faced with growth limitations due to border crossing restrictions and rules on imported meats to the US.

Victory Manufacturing is a Canadian injection molding company based in Waterloo, Ontario. Their U.S. expansion, Avanti Advanced Manufacturing, set up shop in Buffalo Niagara in 2011. The new operation manufactures detectable tactiles, construction products, and customized injection molding projects with the capability to go from concept to prototype to end-product with significant speed. Avanti Advanced Manufacturing specializes in mandatory safety installations including raised bump floor warnings for the visually impaired, stair grips and new, glow in the dark exit door signs that last much longer than battery operated versions. The new division started with six injection molding machines and has already expanded to nine. The company has also added sand blasting, powder coat and painting, and laser engraving capabilities, as well as a CNC router.

Founded in 1953, John Bead is now under direction by its third-generation owner. Headquartered in Toronto, the company assembles specialty bead and craft kits sold wholesale to large retailers, DIY jewelry makers via a retail outlet, and everyone in between. The company had long considered a U.S. expansion to capture further market growth and avoid logistic delays. John Bead’s leadership team wanted a U.S. location in close proximity to its Toronto headquarters, as well as a strong workforce that would allow its family-oriented values to permeate through the new operation.

Incentives: Empire State Development Excelsior Jobs Tax Credits

Electrovaya is a Canadian manufacturer of Lithium-ion batteries. The company is focused on the clean energy transfer and prevention of climate change through the supply of the safest and longest lasting batteries in the market. Electrovaya explored a U.S. expansion to ramp up production of batteries within the warehouse distribution and transportation vertical. With its Canadian headquarters based in Mississauga, Ontario, Buffalo Niagara, and its close proximity, was a natural fit for U.S. expansion.

Incentives: Empire State Development Excelsior Jobs Tax Credits, New York Power Authority Hydropower Allocation, Property Tax Abatement, Mortgage Tax Abatement, Sales Tax Abatement

AML RightSource is the nation’s leading firm solely focused on Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and financial crimes compliance solutions. The company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, currently has more than 1900 employees around the globe, with a growing presence in the Buffalo area. The company’s rapid growth across the globe and specifically in the U.S. northeast created the need for expansion. AML’s CEO Frank Ewing is a University at Buffalo law school graduate, entering Buffalo Niagara into the location search.

Expansion Project: 75 jobs | $3M investment

Incentives: Excelsior Jobs Program

Kemper System, a German-based manufacturer of Kemperol, a liquid resin based waterproofing and surfacing system, sought to establish a North American-based production headquarters to increase its competitiveness in the U.S. market. Location, specifically market access, was crucial in their site location decision as Kemper desired to significantly shorten the eight-week lead time to ship product from Europe to the United States. The company also wanted to be close to their large customer base in the U.S. Northeast.

Kemper required a move-in ready site and a competitive incentive package as they were also considering Florida and North Carolina. Furthermore, the availability and cost of the local workforce was a key factor in the decision-making process. The company requested detailed labor statistics to familiarize itself with the availability and cost of labor in Buffalo Niagara.