Ulster Tomorrow
TECHNICAL REPORT
Ulster Tomorrow: A Sustainable Economic Development Plan for Ulster County Technical Report
March 2007
Ulster County Economic Development Vision Statement
Our economy will have a diverse base of successful locally and
globally competitive businesses that provide meaningful and
challenging jobs consistent with our culture, heritage, values, and a
high quality of life. This will be achieved through a cooperative,
system-wide effort to strengthen existing key businesses in the
region, capitalize on our natural and physical strengths, and identify
and cultivate new opportunities.
Ulster Tomorrow: A Sustainable Economic Development Plan for Ulster County Technical Report
March 2007
Acknowledgements
The following people played a critical role and were instrumental in developing Ulster
County’s Strategic Economic Development Plan:
Ulster County Strategic Economic Development Planning Partners
Robert Ryan, Jr. Chair, Ulster County Development Corporation (UCDC) Board of Directors
Dennis Doyle Director, Ulster County Planning Department
March Gallagher Chair, Ulster County Industrial Development Agency
Eliot Auerbach
The Honorable Michael Berardi
John DiNicolo
Al Ford
Jennifer Fuentes
March Gallagher
Blair Goodman
Brad Mallet
The Honorable Glenn Noonan
Ulster County Industrial
Development Agency
UCDC Board of Directors
Jacquelyn Appledorn
Patricia Brooks
James Davenport
Thomas Dee
Joseph J. Deegan
T. J. Derella
The Honorable David Donaldson
Dennis Doyle
March Gallagher
John Glusko
Johann Huleatt
Donald Katt
Julie Krieger
Joseph R. Libonati
Irene MacPherson
Ronald Marquette
Dorothy Martin
Veit Mueller
The Honorable Glenn Noonan
Dean Palen
The Honorable Jeanette Provenzano
The Honorable Hector Rodriguez
Richard Roth
Ann Barber Smith
The Honorable James Sottile
Thomas Struzzieri
Ward Todd
The Honorable John Valk
Sweta Basnet
Virginia Craft
Marianne Davis
Dennis Doyle
Robert A. Leibowitz
Jennifer Schwartz
Bill Tobin
s
Thomas Alworth
Krista Barringer
Jessica Barry ‡
Kenneth Beesmer
Michael Berg
Jim Bogner
Sherri Brittain
Patricia Brooks
Barbara Budik
Mark Castiglione
Chris Coccio ‡
Robert Collier
Nat Collins
John Crews
Andrea Cunliffe ‡
Ken Davenport ‡
Thomas Dee
John DeJoy
Robert Dennison
Dennis Doyle ‡
Ric Dragon
Kim Emerson
Melissa Everett
Frank Falatyn
Jennifer Fuentes ‡
Jo Galante
March Gallagher ‡
Chuck Genck
Paul Hakim ‡
Carolyn Hansen ‡
Toni Hokanson ‡
Donald Katt
Paul Kellar
Katy Kondrat
Meryl Kramer-Harrison
Debbie Kwiatoski
Irene Macpherson
Catherine Maloney
Ron Marquette
Anne Marrott
Julie McQuain
Vic Melville
Les Neuman
Kevin O'Connor
Ellen O'Leary
Terry Parisian
Paul Rakov ‡
Lydia Reidy
Hector Rodriquez ‡
Susan Rounds
Martin Ruglis ‡
Robert Ryan, Jr.
Finely Schaef
Nancy Schaef
Jennifer Schwartz
Linda Shoub
Adam Snyder ‡
Constance Snyder ‡
Rosalind Stark
Geddy Sveikauskas
Meli Thomas
Ward Todd ‡
Arthur Upright
UCDC Staff
Linda Clark
Lisa Fadelici
Irene MacPherson ‡ Task Force Member
The Honorable David Donaldson
Dennis Doyle
March Gallagher
Julie Krieger
Irene MacPherson
Ronald Marquette
The Honorable Glenn Noonan
The Honorable Hector Rodriguez
Robert Ryan, Jr.
Thomas Struzzieri
Glenn Sutherland (Chairperson)
Ward Todd
The Honorable John Valk
Steering Committee Members
Collaborative Community Engagement Participant
Ulster County Planning
Board
Consultants
Cope & Associates, Inc.,
Burlington, Vermont
Economic & Policy Resources, Inc.,
Williston, Vermont
Ulster Tomorrow: A Sustainable Economic Development Plan for Ulster County Technical Report
March 2007
Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... i
Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... 1
Report Summary .......................................................................................................................... 2
Environmental Scan: Analysis of Economic Performance ................................................... 4
Overview of Past Initiatives and Activities ............................................................................ 4
Why We Are Doing This .......................................................................................................... 6
The “Circle of Prosperity”: An Illustration of Why States/Regions Undertake Economic
Development ............................................................................................................................. 6
Cluster and Target Industry Analysis .................................................................................... 7
Identifying and Understanding Ulster County’s Needs to Achieve Economic
Success ................................................................................................................................. 8
Review of Macro Trends Affecting Today’s Economic Development Climate ........... 9
Economic Development Context: Recent Trends in Population Growth, Commuter
Patterns, Housing Growth, and Educational Attainment.............................................. 11
Recent Trends in Employment and Unemployment ..................................................... 16
Identifying and Understanding Ulster County’s Key Industries................................... 24
The Characteristics of Successful Economic Development Programs ......................... 25
Economic Development Best Practices.......................................................................... 25
Results of Economic Development Resources Inventory Assessment......................... 27
Resource Survey Summary.............................................................................................. 27
Business Interviews ........................................................................................................... 35
Analysis of Services Delivery Infrastructure ...................................................................... 35
Roles and Responsibilities................................................................................................ 36
Formulation of an Improved Economic Development Service Delivery System...... 37
Public Engagement: Collaborative Community Engagement Process ............................ 40
Collaborative Community Engagement Overview ............................................................ 40
Collaborative Community Engagement Description ......................................................... 41
Collaborative Community Engagement Activities ............................................................. 42
Task Force Results ................................................................................................................ 45
Prioritized Outcomes ............................................................................................................. 46
Inventory of Strategies .............................................................................................................. 51
Engaged Leadership.............................................................................................................. 52
Doing Business for Prosperity .............................................................................................. 58
Ingredients for Success......................................................................................................... 65
i
Ulster Tomorrow: A Sustainable Economic Development Plan for Ulster County Technical Report
March 2007
Targeting Key Sectors ........................................................................................................... 72
Appendix A: Identifying Ulster County’s Key Industries.................................................... A-1
Appendix B: Resource Assessment Survey Data – Web Respondents ........................ B-1
Appendix B: Resource Assessment Survey Data – Targeted Respondents .............. B-20
Appendix B: Resource Assessment Survey Data – Combined Respondents ............ B-40
Appendix B: Resource Assessment Survey Data – Open-Ended Responses ........... B-59
Appendix C: Roles and Responsibility Matrix ...................................................................... C-1
Appendix D: Economic Development Agencies................................................................. D-1
Appendix E: Political Office Holders .....................................................................................E-1
Appendix F: Collaborative Community Engagement Members........................................F-1
Appendix G: Collaborative Community Engagement Stakeholder Groups ................... G-1
Appendix H: Collaborative Community Engagement Demographics ............................. H-1
Appendix I: Presenter List and Biographies..........................................................................I-1
Appendix J: Task Force Members Listing ............................................................................ J-1
Appendix K: “The Big Deal” ................................................................................................... K-1
Appendix L: Refer
