ABOUT US
We Exist to Help Prosper
Buffalo Niagara
Invest Buffalo Niagara is the region’s nonprofit, privately funded economic development organization representing the eight counties of Western New York.
Our mission is to attract new employers to the Buffalo Niagara region; to support business attraction, expansion, and entrepreneurship. To do so, Invest Buffalo Niagara collaborates with existing local businesses, colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, and elected officials at the federal, state, and local levels to deliver a unified response to regional economic development opportunities.
The team of professional economic development consultants at Invest Buffalo Niagara provides free and confidential services to companies considering the Buffalo Niagara region, particularly for the first time.
Our Investors
Shaping the Future of Business
Our investors are more than just financiers; they are partners in progress, deeply committed to nurturing growth and innovation in the Buffalo Niagara region. From supporting cutting-edge startups to revitalizing established industries, these leaders are at the forefront of creating a vibrant, sustainable business ecosystem where companies of all sizes can flourish and succeed.
Our Partners
Invest Buffalo Niagara's Key Partners
Great partners make all the difference. And we’ve got some that really shine. Their efforts are critical to sustaining our local economy.
New York State Economic Development
Local Economic & Industrial Development Agencies
Development Corporations
Workforce Development
Economic Development Associations
Visitor and Convention Bureaus
Our Impact
Transforming the Business Landscape
- Custom site location assistance
- Detailed site/building information
- Labor market analysis and demographics
- Tailored market research
- Facilitation of state and local incentive programming
- Personal community and site tours
- Introductions to professional service providers and partners
- Meetings with community and business leaders
- Assistance with workforce and recruitment training needs
Wins & Success Stories
See of our clients wins & success stories!
Success Story
TexWeb, Inc.
Petrolift Inc. is based in Cairo, Egypt and is a leading manufacturer of web slings and lifts for industrial applications in the oil & gas industry. Petrolift has been operating in Cairo since 1999, and holds a number of existing customers in the United States and Canada. The Majority of its customers are based in Houston, Texas and Calgary and Alberta, Canada.
After 15 years of successful business in Cairo, Petrolift wanted to expand its manufacturing operation into the U.S. marketplace under a new subsidiary, TexWeb, Inc.
Success Story
Kyklo
Kyklo is a software as a service company that helps businesses build their cloud marketplace sales, specifically in the industrial sector. The company is based in Thailand and was looking for a location for their U.S. based headquarters in 2019. Decision makers started with a list of nine U.S. metro areas including Brooklyn, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Denver, Nashville, Raleigh, Tampa, and Buffalo. The company prioritized locations that had access to a talented and skilled workforce, desirable office location options, and an affordable business climate.
Success Story
Patient Pattern
Patient Pattern is a healthcare start-up company that was originally founded in western Connecticut where it operated virtually. The company has developed a web-based application to alleviate the growing complexity in navigating the health care system and diagnosing and assessing geriatric needs, for elderly patients. Patient Pattern’s software gives doctors, home health care providers, health care advocates, family members, and patients themselves a platform to develop highly customized and comprehensive care plans, resulting in greater control and optimal outcomes. Patients, with input from medical professionals and caregivers, undertake a validated assessment through a smart survey. The end product results in a comprehensive care plan that summarizes the patient’s current situation, tracks progress or decline and delivers recommendations along the way to improve decision-making and preparedness.
Patient Pattern provides their services to local care management companies, post-acute care programs, hospitals and home care agencies to help them understand how to best care for their complex patients.
Success Story
Pressure Drop Brewing
Karl Kolbe was born and raised in the Buffalo Niagara region. However, for the last seven years he has been brewing beer in Sacramento, California. Though craft beers captured his palate, Buffalo Niagara always had his heart.
When he decided he wanted to open his own brewery, he knew the City of Buffalo was the place. He and some partners went in on the business together, and thus, Pressure Drop Brewing was born. They will be brewing around eight beers at a time from 40 recipes, alternating them based on season. Their IPA-heavy beer will be ready in October.
Success Story
John Bead
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
Success Story
Electrovaya
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
Our Team
Meet the Invest Buffalo Niagara Team
Our staff brings a wide range of expertise in business development, client service, real estate, finance, research, marketing, event planning, graphic design, and public and investor relations.
Thomas Kucharski
President & CEO
“This is a region where life works both professionally and personally. The quality of life and the people are unmatched by any others I’ve experienced elsewhere. And where else could I have sailed in the morning, played golf in the afternoon and skied in the evening – all in the same day?”
tkucharski@buffaloniagara.org
Thomas Kucharski
President & CEO
Erin Sinclair
Senior Administrator
Before joining the Invest Buffalo Niagara team, she worked as an administrative assistant for a real estate company. Outside of work, Erin coaches’ soccer to children aged three to six years old. She also plays rec soccer for a local team. Erin enjoys checking out the Buffalo food scene as well as going to Buffalo Bills games.
esinclair@buffaloniagara.org
Erin Sinclair
Senior Administrator
Matthew Hubacher
Sr. Vice President
Before joining Invest Buffalo Niagara in 2007, Matthew worked on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Assistant for former U.S. Congressman Tom Latham for five years. Matthew holds a master’s in Education Policy from the University of Maryland-College Park and a bachelor’s in Secondary Education from Niagara University. He lives in Clarence Center with his wife and three daughters and is active in his community, most notably serving as Commissioner of the Clarence Girls Softball League.
mhubacher@buffaloniagara.org
Matthew Hubacher
Sr. Vice President
Rob Leteste
Director, Sector Strategy
Rob was brought to UB to coordinate the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences’ NYSTAR Center for Advance Technology (CAT) and STARTUP NY programs. In this role, he supported entrepreneurs and business leaders to convert innovation and incentives into economic opportunity. With these new opportunities top of mind, Rob was recruited to SUNY Erie to manage multiple Career & Technical Education grants which funded curricula updates to better prepare students for work.
In recent years, Rob has pursued extensive training in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This education began with programming sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and was expanded upon with his participation in the national Education Pioneers fellowship. Rob holds a strong belief that an equitable community will expand the economic prosperity in every corner of WNY.
Rob received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics from UB in 2009. He also completed his master’s degree in Education from UB. He is an alum of Americorps and Education Pioneers. Rob calls Buffalo’s Elmwood Village home, and is a fond patron of its many cafes.
rleteste@buffaloniagara.org
Rob Leteste
Director, Sector Strategy
Sarah Larson
Brand & Creative Director
Sarah first joined InBN as the organizations Senior Graphic Designer and Website Manager, before earning the privilege of leading a talented, three-person marketing department, its operations, budget, and effectiveness as Marketing Manager. Before joining InBN in 2004, Sarah spent more than five years as a Graphic Designer at WKBW-TV.
Sarah has a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She channels her creative energy as well as her passion for education and children through volunteerism. Sarah has spent many years serving her local Parent Teacher Organization board, the towns Baseball and Softball board, coaching travel softball, teaching religious education, and serving on the Ralph C. Wilson Explore & More Children’s Museum board. When not working or volunteering, Sarah can be found spending quality time with her husband and three children.
slarson@buffaloniagara.org
Sarah Larson
Brand & Creative Director
Carlton X. Sanders
Graphic Designer
Before joining Invest Buffalo Niagara Carlton worked for one of the top companies in consumer-based technology. He used his technical knowledge and friendly demeanor to achieve high customer satisfaction year-round.
Being a Buffalo native, he deeply loves and appreciates his community. Carlton enjoys Buffalo’s coffee shops and local comic stores in his free time. He also is a big supporter of Buffalo’s live music scene.
csanders@buffaloniagara.org
Carlton X. Sanders
Graphic Designer
Kathy Stout
Business Development Manager
With a bachelor’s degree in economics and music from University College Cork, Ireland where she was a Quercus College Scholar, and a master’s in economics from the University of Warwick, UK, Kathy is passionate about economic development as a means to commercial success, as well as greater employment and upskilling opportunities for the local workforce.
Prior to joining Invest Buffalo Niagara, Kathy was an Associate Director at KPMG Ireland where she advised on M&A transactions and corporate strategy. She also has experience with EY, in policy research at the University of Oxford, and infrastructure policy planning at the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin.
After an extensive search, in 2024 Kathy and her family decided to call Buffalo, NY “home” given the blend of career and lifestyle opportunities hard to find elsewhere. After her 15-minute commute from downtown Buffalo back to the suburbs, Kathy loves to take her Scottish terrier for hikes in local state parks, if not already attending a pottery class or pickleball league.
kstout@buffaloniagara.org
Kathy Stout
Business Development Manager
The Invest Buffalo Niagara Board of Directors
Officers
President & CEO
Thomas A. Kucharski, Invest Buffalo Niagara
Chair
Kenneth Kujawa, National Grid
Vice Chair
Michael O’Brien, Key Bank, N.A.
Secretary
Sujata Yalamanchili, Partner – Hodgson Russ LLP
Treasurer
Dave Bauer, National Fuel
Board of Directors
AAA Western and Central New York
Susan Was
Acara Solutions Inc.
Pete Petrella
Amherst Industrial Development Agency
David Mingoia
Buffalo Niagara Partnership
Dottie Gallagher
Buffalo Business First
John Tebeau
Buffalo Urban Development Corporation
Becky Gandour
Buffalo News
Katie Mulligan
Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency
Mark Geise
City of Buffalo
Mayor Chris Scanlon
Ciminelli Real Estate
Kyle Ciminelli
Clarence IDA
Chris Kempton
Delaware North Companies
James Obletz
Exxpress Tire
David Simons
Erie County Government
Dan Castle
Erie County Industrial Development Agency
John Cappellino
Ernst & Young
Marc Izzo
Frey Electric Construction Co
Kent Frey
Genesee County Economic Development Center
Mark Masse
Hamburg IDA
Sean Doyle
Harter Secrest & Emery LLP
Amy Hemenway
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
Jessica Cox
Hodgson Russ LLP
Sujata Yalamanchili
HSBC Bank
Gregory Duval
Hunt Real Estate
Peter Hunt
Hurwitz & Fine, P.C.
Kevin Zanner
Key Bank, N.A.
Michael O’Brien
LeChase Construction
Chris Kulik
Lippes Mathias LLP
Kevin Cross
Lockport Industrial Development Agency
Thomas Sy
Martin Group
Matt Davison
Merchant Insurance
Charlie Makey
M&T Bank Corporation
Chris Kania
National Fuel Gas Company
David Bauer
National Grid
Kenneth Kujawa
Niagara County Department of Economic Development
Andrea Klyczek
New York Power Authority
Joseph Kessler
NYSEG Corporation
Jeff Quain
Phillips Lytle LLP
Kim Nason
Schutte Buffalo
Martin Berardi
Sonwil Distribution
Peter Wilson
TM Montante Development
Christian Campos
Tops Friendly Markets
Ron Ferri
Uniland Development Company
Carl Montante, Jr.
Univera Healthcare
Paul Valley
West Herr Auto Group
Scott Bieler
WNY NYSCAR
Amanda Hirsch
Wyoming County IDA
James Pierce
Appointed Directors
Empire State Development Corporation
Karen Utz
State University of New York at Buffalo
Per Stromhaug
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