NORWICH – New York's Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul visited Unison Industries, LLC on Tuesday to announce the addition of 76 new jobs thanks to an expansion of the company's facilities with the help of a state grant, a project which is scheduled to be completed by December 2021.

Unison plans to invest nearly $30 million to upgrade and expand its 160,000 square foot facilities in Norwich, with the company looking to improve its product manufacturing, research, and development operations.

Approximately $4.3 million of that total will come from Southern Tier Soaring, a program intended to achieve economic growth and create jobs.

Two years ago Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the Upstate Revitalization Initiative. The goal of URI was, after an extensive application process, three parts of Upstate New York would be the winner of $500 million dollars total to use in the winning regions.

Lt. Gov. Hochul said "I'm very proud that the Southern Tier was one of the three winners."

President and CEO of Commerce Chenango Steve Craig, who played a large part in the application process, said, "In our plan, one of the four main strategies, or initiatives, was support for the advanced manufacturing industries, specifically related to transportation." He went on to say, "It’s a great win, and it’s a symbolic win, because we’re going to recover an industry that we had lost, and we’re getting it back," referring to the loss of sensor manufacturing jobs in Norwich over the years.

Unison is a global supplier of complex gas turbine engine components, as well as electrical and mechanical systems. Unison became a subsidiary of GE Aviation in 2002.

Dan Ketchum, General Manager of the Norwich Unison facility said, "We like to say we're locally grown, and globally known." Ketchum says the local part of that is since the company began with four people as General Laboratory Associates 70 years ago, they are now providing almost 400 jobs to this community. "We're globally known in the sense that our products go on literally everything that flies, and that's something we're incredibly proud of here."

Ketchum thanked Hochul, the entire governors office, Steve Craig and the Chenango Chamber of Commerce, State Senator Fred Akshar, the entire community, and the employees of Unison in Norwich. "There have been a lot of people who have been involved in Unison for many, many years, and not just on this project," he said of the support the company has received.

According to a press release from the governors office, Chenango County Board of Supervisors Chairman Lawrence N. Wilcox said, "Unisons expansion in Norwich is a win-win for both communities throughout the county and the entire Southern Tier. This is a significant investment that will help boost New York's advanced technology and aerospace industries, and I thank Governor Cuomo for supporting this major business development."

Concluding the announcement, Hochul said, "If you want a highly skilled, dedicated, loyal workforce, you don’t need to look any further than Chenango County, they are right here, and I’m going to continue promoting this area as best I can."

In addition to her appearance in Norwich, Hochul said she was in Albany discussing lowering the cost of property taxes with the goal of attracting and maintaining businesses like Unison in New York State.

Hochul also visited the town of Roxbury to deliver remarks at the groundbreaking of the Roxbury Hotel expansion. Through Southern Tier Soaring, Empire State Development provided $3.2 million of the $7 million project. She also highlighted the NYS craft beverage industry during a tour of the Roscoe Brewing Company, located in Roscoe, NY. Hochul will continue her tour of the state, hitting all 62 counties this year, and every year.

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul speaks with Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Lawrence Wilcox, Executive Director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Ken Smith, and President and CEO of Commerce Chenango Steve Craig after the announcement of 76 jobs at Unison. (Hannah Benjamin photo)