Governor John Lynch today joined state and Rochester city officials in announcing the creation of 500 new jobs in the city over the next several years.
Governor Lynch made the announcement at Albany Engineered Composites, an aerospace composites manufacturer and subsidiary of Albany International, which employs about 225 workers at its existing Rochester facility.
After working directly with the state over the last two years, Albany has decided to construct a new plant next to the existing facility in Rochester, which will directly result in 300 new jobs.
Anticipated additional investment in Albany’s existing operations, in addition to its new facility, is expected to create a total of about 500 jobs in the area over the next several years.
“As Governor, my top priority is getting people back to work today and investing in our workers so New Hampshire can attract companies and compete for good jobs. This major announcement today is a direct result of our hard work,” Governor Lynch said.
“Albany could have chosen to locate this new facility elsewhere, but they recognized that we have a winning economic strategy in place here in New Hampshire. We worked intensively with the company over the past two years to bring this new plant and hundreds of jobs to Rochester,” Governor Lynch said.
The company also announced today it was relocating its corporate headquarters from New York to New Hampshire.
“These two announcements reflect the growing importance of AEC to Albany International’s future. It also reflects the strength of the partnership that we have forged with the city of Rochester and the state of New Hampshire,” said Joseph Morone, Albany’s President and CEO. “We are especially appreciative of the efforts of Governor John Lynch and his administration. The new jobs that our new plant will create are the direct result of his efforts on behalf of state of New Hampshire.”
The State, through the Community College System and Employment Security, has committed to working with Albany to provide job training and other services to help find the workers for these new highly skilled jobs.
“The new facility will employ cutting edge technology and techniques and we will make sure our workers are ready. That’s what we do so well in New Hampshire,” Governor Lynch said. “Through our Job Training Fund, we have provided training to more than 7,000 workers from hundreds of companies over the last three years. Having the ability to train and retrain a skilled workforce is one of the reasons Albany has chosen New Hampshire.”
Employment at the Rochester location, which has grown by 23 percent over the past two years and is now at 225, is expected to increase by the later part of the decade to approximately 700, making it the company’s largest global manufacturing operation.
“Rochester is proud to be chosen as Albany’s corporate headquarters and as the location for its new facility and expanded workforce. We have supported their growth in the past and continue that commitment to advanced technology and manufacturing,” said Rochester Mayor T.J. Jean. “We sincerely thank the State of New Hampshire, Rochester’s economic development team and the leadership of the City Council for encouraging and supporting this opportunity.”
“This is great news for the City of Rochester and for the region as a whole,” said Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald. “Job creation is the key to successful and thriving communities and we’re pleased that Albany Engineering Composites is building upon its investment in New Hampshire. Albany is a top-notch company and has created a center of excellence in the world of composites. We are indeed fortunate they are located in our state.”
“As we emerge from this recession, my focus has been getting people back to work now and making sure New Hampshire is positioned to continue to lead the nation’s economy in the future. This exciting announcement helps further those goals. It is going to help put people back to work. In addition to the hundreds of new skilled manufacturing jobs, there will be many men and women in the construction industry building this new plant and this project will also expand the tax base for the city,” Governor Lynch said.
“This is a great day for the State of New Hampshire,” Governor Lynch said.
Tags: Albany Engineered Composites, Albany International Group, NH Department of Resources & Economic Development, T.J. Jean