Zone ousts 6 area businesses

By Jake Palmateer
Staff Writer

July 10, 2009 04:00 am

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No Otsego County businesses are among the 544 businesses statewide that will be decertified from the Empire Zone program, according to a list released by the state Tuesday.

But six Chenango County businesses were notified last week that they could no longer receive Empire Zone benefits.

The decertification will be put on hold if the businesses submit appeals by July 21, according to Empire State Development, the state agency that manages the program.

The 544 businesses were notified their certifications are being revoked for failure to meet the new provisions of the Empire Zones Program, which went into effect this year, according to Empire State Development.

The Empire Zone program was created to give tax breaks to businesses that move to or expand in designated areas of the state. In exchange, the businesses must meet standards, including job growth.

In May, Empire State Development sent letters to 2,000 of the state's 8,780 zone-certified businesses stating they were being terminated from the program or were at risk of being terminated unless they provided additional paperwork.

Seven Otsego County businesses were among those told by the state to supply more information. These businesses were Mold-A-Matic, T.S. Pink Corp., BK Associates International, Karabinis Development, Corning, Custom Electronics and Adirondack Leather Products.

State Sen. James L. Seward, R-Milford, said then those businesses were at risk of decertification.

Six businesses out of seven in the Greater Norwich Empire Zone identified for decertification in May were on the latest list. These include Cwynar & Company CPAs, Venusta Hotels, The Renaissance Building/Arnel Music, The Three Amigos, Pet Street Station Animal Hospital and Allentown Properties. Sun Printing was not listed.

In addition, The Raymond Corporation, Hart's Electrical Service, Sureseal, NBT and Wilson Funeral Home, who were sent letters requesting more paperwork, were not listed among the decertified businesses.