Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced January 19 the creation of the Mayor's Office of Industrial and Manufacturing Businesses to support New York City's industrial sector, and appointed Carl Hum, formerly the Chief of Staff and Special Counsel at the Department of Small Business Services, to direct the new Office. The Office will manage the creation of new Industrial Business Zones (IBZs), in addition to carrying out a number of initiatives to assist the manufacturing sector such as relocation tax credits, enhanced sanitation services and employee training programs. The City will invest about $17 million through 2009, and the proposed tax incentives are projected to cost the City about $9 million over the same time period if approved by the State Legislature. The announcement was made at Arc Metal Group, which is receiving City benefits to expand in a future IBZ in East New York.
Today, we are launching a comprehensive industrial policy that involves designing new business zones and creating new incentives to encourage long-term investment in manufacturing, warehousing and other industrial businesses throughout the five boroughs," said Mayor Bloomberg. "As I said in the State of the City, we are committed to diversifying our economy in order to create opportunity and jobs for all New Yorkers. Over the past half century, the City's industrial base has declined, along with many other American cities, but the industry remains a powerful engine of our economy and its 500,000 jobs represent about 15% of our workforce. We believe that our new industrial initiatives will stem this tide and grow our manufacturing sector. I want to thank all the Industrial Task Force members for arriving at a policy that will strengthen New York City's industrial core, help businesses to grow and increase jobs."
"I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg for this wonderful opportunity," said Director Hum. "My connection to the industrial and manufacturing sector in the City runs deep. I grew up in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and my parents were both employed in the sector. My father pressed shirts in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and my mother was a seamstress in Chinatown. In fact, if it wasn't for these jobs, my sisters and I never would have been able to go to college and pursue our careers. Even with the challenges of a global economy and changing urban landscape, the industrial sector still manages to significantly contribute to the City's economy and provide gateway employment for many workers with minimal skills and limited English proficiency. The Office will not only help retain current businesses but help them grow and attract even more businesses to New York."