Accelerate your Start Up Company in Buffalo Niagara

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

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.

Aesku NY, Inc. is a recent spin-off of Wendelsheim, Germany-based AESKU.DIAGNOSTICS, a research-focused supplier of innovative and efficient products and services for the early detection, diagnosis and prognosis of autoimmune diseases. Founded in 2000, the company has grown to be a leader in the field of autoimmunity, launching over 140 products in over 80 countries worldwide. The company has small U.S.-based operations in both Atlanta, GA and Oakland, CA, the latter of which is its domestic headquarters.

In August 2020, MedBio – a company headquartered in Michigan – acquired Polymer Conversions, a plastic injection molder operating in Buffalo Niagara. The company was specializing in highly technical medical devices and components with 125 employees. Polymer Conversions (now operating as MedBio Orchard Park, spoiler alert!) needed to expand its footprint and was considering doing so in either Western New York or Michigan.

Incentives: NYPA – Hydropower Allocation, Empire State Development Excelsior Jobs Program, Erie County IDA sales tax abatement

Both Jim Terhune Sr. and his son, James Terhune Jr. followed a similar career path. They both joined the United States Army and then entered a career in the metal and steel business. Today, with over 60 years of combined experience, the two decided it was time to expand Jim Sr.’s business and have his son James Jr. join him. James Jr. led the process and began looking for communities that fit the company’s brand, sites that would suit their needs, and options that would lower startup costs.

Norampac is the largest containerboard producer in Canada and the 8th largest in North America. The company is also a major manufacturer of corrugated products. In 2008, Invest Buffalo Niagara and Norampac representatives discussed the company’s desire to build a new facility that would construct new corrugated box products from recycled fibers. With 43 operating units throughout the world the company could have sited this project anywhere.