________________________________
By Matthew Hubacher
Senior Vice President, Invest Buffalo Niagara
For site selectors and corporate decision-makers, momentum is more than a talking point. It is a signal that a region can compete, respond, and help companies move from evaluation to execution.
In Buffalo Niagara, 2026 is already delivering that signal.
This year, Invest Buffalo Niagara has supported project wins representing 176 jobs and $259,508,000 in capital investment across the region. These wins include Carbonix, Metal Craft Spinning, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Balthasar Industries, and Erie Ultrasonic Technologies, with additional advanced manufacturing momentum reflected in Professional Plastics’ expansion in Orchard Park.
“These wins reflect exactly what we want site selectors to see in Buffalo Niagara: a region that is prepared, coordinated, and committed to helping companies grow,” said Ken Kujawa, Board President of Invest Buffalo Niagara and representative of National Grid. “From advanced manufacturing to cross-border expansion, Buffalo Niagara continues to prove that when companies invest here, they gain more than a location. They gain partners ready to move projects forward.”
Together, these projects point to the diversity and strength of Buffalo Niagara’s business case. They span advanced manufacturing, food and beverage production, precision machining, industrial technology, cross-border business expansion, and supply chain-critical operations.
Three projects in particular demonstrate why companies and consultants continue to take a closer look at Buffalo Niagara.
Metal Craft Spinning reinforces the region’s value for Canadian companies seeking a U.S. presence. The Canadian manufacturer is establishing operations in Niagara Falls through a $1.3 million investment expected to create up to 17 new skilled manufacturing jobs. For site selectors working with international firms, the project highlights Buffalo Niagara’s strategic location, cross-border connectivity, and ability to help companies serve U.S. customers while remaining closely connected to Canadian operations.
Balthasar Industries speaks to the region’s advanced manufacturing depth. The company is relocating to a 37,000-square-foot facility in North Tonawanda and investing in new CNC machinery and software to increase production capacity. Its work serving customers in medical, optic, aerospace, and semiconductor industries reflects the type of specialized production that continues to find a strong fit in Buffalo Niagara.
Professional Plastics adds another important proof point for the region’s role in supply chain-critical advanced manufacturing. The global distributor and fabricator of high-performance plastics is expanding its Orchard Park facility, a project expected to create 49 new jobs and support additional on-site CNC machining capacity. The expansion includes a semiconductor-grade clean room outfitted with ultrasonic part cleaning systems used by semiconductor customers. For site selectors, this is a clear example of how Buffalo Niagara can support specialized industrial growth tied to semiconductor, electronics, and high-performance materials supply chains.
As Senior Vice President at Invest Buffalo Niagara, I work closely with companies, consultants, local economic development partners, utilities, municipalities, and state agencies to help projects move forward. That work is highly customized. Some companies need help comparing sites. Others need workforce intelligence, incentive coordination, utility guidance, permitting support, or connections to local partners.
Our role is to make that process easier, faster, and more informed.
For site selectors, that kind of follow-through matters. A strong regional business case is not only about available assets. It is about whether a region can organize around a company’s needs with speed, clarity, and coordination.
Buffalo Niagara’s 2026 wins show that companies are finding both the fundamentals and the partnership here.
The year is still underway, but the early results are meaningful: 176 jobs and more than $259 million in capital investment across a diverse mix of business attraction and expansion projects. More importantly, these wins reinforce what companies continue to find in Buffalo Niagara: proximity, power, people, and a region ready to deliver.
For companies considering expansion, relocation, or a first U.S. presence, Buffalo Niagara should be part of the conversation.
To learn more about expansion opportunities in Buffalo Niagara, connect with Matthew Hubacher, Senior Vice President at Invest Buffalo Niagara.