Rem-tronics closer to city

By GIB SNYDER

Another hurdle has been cleared in the effort to keep a local company in the area as one more piece in the financial puzzle needed to keep the Rem-tronics Inc. company in the local area was fitted Thursday.

And while the business moving to the city of Dunkirk is Silver Creek's loss, the alternative would have been a loss of jobs for the local area. With the move to the former AL Tech office building on Willowbrook Avenue, more than 60 jobs will stay to help the area's economy.

At a meeting Thursday of the Dunkirk/Sheridan Empire Zone Board of Directors it was announced that the company had received its certificate of eligibility from the New York State Empire Zones Program. The financial benefits from the EDZ approval to Rem-tronics, Inc. include wage tax credits, investment tax credits, real property tax credits and employee incentive tax credits. The company was approved in December 2008 for a loan of $495,000 from the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency.

Local EDZ Director Pat Stokes thanked everyone who, "really helped put all these pieces together."

Rem-tronics officials, Vice President and General Manager Matthew Karalunas and Director of Business Development Paul Pinto, were presented with the certificate and thanked everyone for doing a fine job.

That job was necessary.

Back in December, Karalunas told the CCIDA the relocation project started some two years ago with the realization Rem-tronics needed more space. The company was also under pressure from its customers to reduce prices.

Karalunas said the Ohio-based owner had property in Cleveland but he didn't want to leave the area. Karalunas was told if he found a suitable place in the area the company could stay local.

The local development agencies went to work on the project and ended with a success story. According to officials, it was a team effort and could not have been accomplished without outside help from Governor David Paterson's regional representative, Tom Carpenter.

According to its Web site, Rem-tronics is a recognized leader in the manufacturing process of high reliability systems for the aerospace, military and medical industries.

"The good news is in this recession they're doing well gaining new clients," Stokes said of Rem-tronics.

Rem-tronics was not the only company to receive its EDZ certificate of eligibility Thursday. Walgreens was also approved for its store at the corner of Main and Fourth streets in the city.

Comments can be sent to gsnyder@observertoday.com