The vision of the Canandaigua Area Chamber of Commerce is to act as a positive force for its members by advancing the development of commerce and community in the Canandaigua area. One of the missions of the Chamber is to serve in a leadership capacity to stimulate and promote commerce and tourism. The Board of Directors strongly believes that an expanded airport will help to stimulate both corporate growth and continued development of our tourism industry in the Greater Canandaigua area.

Technology-led economic development relies on a number of factors that go beyond the traditional focus on real-estate, highway location, and infrastructure. These factors include links to the high speed internet highway (Broadband), and a ready access to corporate and business aviation.

Business requires access to the market and speed to the market to be successful. Throughout the history of this country, economic growth and development has been spurred within communities like ours based on the evolution of and access to transportation and communication systems. Our area of upstate New York has benefited from this close access and evolution, first with the canal, followed by the railroads, then the interstate highway system. The greater Canandaigua area should not ignore this current opportunity to enhance access to our community Ð for business and tourism Ð both through the expansion of the airport and the establishment of the fiber-optic ring.

Economic development is the lifeblood of this area. At a time when upstate New York is witnessing an economic decline, the airport expansion will improve our ability to attract and maintain new business, especially technology-led business. This is crucial to attracting quality jobs and growing our tax base. The Infotonics Center and the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park are attracting interest from researchers and entrepreneurs from around the United States. While no one may be able to accurately predict how many businesses or jobs will relocate to the Canandaigua area, the State Department of Transportation found in one study that 70 percent of all new businesses in the State locate within 10 miles of a general aviation airport like an expanded Canandaigua airport.

Greater runway capacity and expanded aviation services at the county airport will substantially improve our ability to persuade world-class firms to relocate their business enterprise and jobs to Ontario County.

The airport expansion will provide easier access, greater mobility and increased productivity to our current businesses like Thompson Health, Infotonics, Canandaigua National Bank and Trust, Pactiv, Constellation Brands, G. W. Lisk, and Mercy Flight Central to name a few. Currently, many of our local businesses must use the Yates County airport in Penn Yan, or the Greater Rochester Airport for general aviation services or to base their aircraft.

Such a facility locally would enhance the profitability and competitive strength of local businesses, regardless of size, by allowing them to take advantage of the speed and flexibility offered by air taxis and small passenger planes (not commuter jets). This speed and flexibility allows local businesses to reach out to new markets and increase contact with customers and suppliers. This in turn allows our local businesses to grow, creating more jobs and increasing our overall economic vitality.

On August 28th, the Canandaigua Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors unanimously resolved to support the Ontario County OED/IDA in its efforts to expand the airport in Canandaigua. The expansion of the airport would greatly benefit commerce, economic development, leisure, and the quality of life in the Greater Canandaigua area. The expansion clearly supports the future economic vitality of the area and is in the best interest of our membership.

Carol Urbaitis, Chairperson
Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
394-3500, ext. 7211
urbaitcs@flcc.edu
September 12, 2006



Cdga. Chamber - Cham.Bd.Supports Airport Expn. 10.06

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