Release date: 7/18/2016
90-page employee recruitment tool showcases WNY regional assets
BUFFALO, NY– Today Invest Buffalo Niagara—the nonprofit, privately funded economic development organization representing the eight counties of Western New York—unveiled the 2016 “Welcome to Buffalo Niagara Relocation Guide.”
“Our region has seen remarkable economic development activity in recent years, and as a business attraction organization, we aim to capitalize on that momentum to continue to drive growth,” said Tom Kucharski, president and CEO of Invest Buffalo Niagara. “We offer this guide as an encyclopedia of Buffalo Niagara’s many cultural, economic, and geographical assets. It’s a valuable tool in our work to attract new business and will help companies attract new employees. As a region we’ll reach new audiences and tell Buffalo Niagara’s story as a great place to live and work.”
Totaling 90 pages in length, the Relocation Guide covers the counties of Erie, Niagara, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming. The contents include details for each of the eight counties, in the areas of real estate, education, public utilities, seasonal attractions, culture, transportation, health care, and employment.
The guide showcases Buffalo Niagara’s regional assets with comprehensive lists of resources, useful statistics (“205 average sunny days per year”), and fun elements, including local jargon (“The Scajaquada (Skuh-jack-quah-duh): The 198:”). With engaging imagery from several well-known local photographers including Nancy Parisi, Douglas Levere and Joe Cascio, the piece also features various community figures such as Autumn Lewandowski, WKBW meteorologist, Daniel Shani, founder and CEO of 43North winning company Energy Intelligence, and Shandra Spicer, president and CEO of Spicer Group, among others.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for local employers to attract qualified talent to their workforces,” said Kucharski. “By compiling stories of success from ex-pats, re-pats, area entrepreneurs—and sharing compelling workforce and industry statistics—we hope people from outside the region will see it in the same captivating light that we do.”
The Relocation Guide includes the following themes:
Welcome to a Great Life
Buffalo Niagara’s location within New York State and close proximity to Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and Toronto is demonstrated in a map of the Northeastern region of the U.S. For Buffalo Niagara, an overview of each of the eight counties is provided as well as descriptions of the cities, towns, and neighborhoods within each.
A Place to Call Home
Information about the region’s housing market, renting, home buying and home building resources, as well as senior living information and a moving checklist.
More to Learn
Area public school districts and the private and charter systems, including enrollment requirements, rankings, and NYS educational assessment information, are summarized. One of Buffalo’s most unique educational initiatives—Say Yes to Education—is explained in detail, child care and after school programs are included, and higher education institutions are listed and labeled within a map.
Settle in for While
For those who have relocated to Buffalo, resource information is catalogued for the DMV, public safety, pet information, banks, utilities, voter registration, libraries, broadcast TV channels, and AM/FM radio stations. A cost of living comparison chart is also included.
Celebrate all Seasons
The guide details attractions for every season, tips for what to wear, and weather statistics related to average temperature, mean snowfall and rainfall, and elevation.
Life as it Should Be
Arts and cultural institutions are listed along with Buffalo Niagara’s professional sports teams, shopping destinations, the region’s food and drink specialties, the Olmsted park system, waterfronts and waterways—including Niagara Falls. There is also a section dedicated to Canadian get-aways (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Wine Trail, Toronto, etc.).
Easy Come, Easy Go
A list of Buffalo Niagara’s modes of transportation is provided: airports, trains, Thruway travel, and public transportation. A special section focuses on bicycle offerings including bike paths, bike clubs, and group megacycles.
Healthy Living
The guide lists recommendations for ways to find doctors, insurers, urgent care facilities, hospitals, specialized healthcare facilities, and a map of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
Love What You Do
Economic statistics, such as salaries and wages, Buffalo Niagara’s top businesses, leading business sectors, and chambers of commerce are listed, as well as employment resources, entrepreneurial resources, and a section entitled “Starting a Business Here.”
The guide was produced with grant support from Invest Buffalo Niagara investors National Grid and NYSEG. View the electronic version or have your company request a hard copy on www.BuffaloNiagara.org or by contacting Alexandra Williams, Senior Administrator /Investor Relations Coordinator at awilliams@buffaloniagara.org–skip-themes or 1-716-541-1708.
ABOUT INVEST BUFFALO NIAGARA
Invest Buffalo Niagara is the area’s leading private sector economic development and business attraction organization, focused on research, marketing, and business development outreach. With exceptional community connectivity, Invest Buffalo Niagara’s staff provides comprehensive services and project management for companies looking to expand or relocate. From research all the way through ribbon-cutting, Invest Buffalo Niagara is the primary point of contact for economic development in the eight-county Buffalo Niagara region. Learn more: buffaloniagara.org.
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