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Assured Edge Solutions, a custom vegetable processing and co-packing company, plans to grow its manufacturing operations at the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park in Geneva. The initiative will create up to 21 jobs and retain 14.
“The Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park in Geneva, with its focus on agribusiness-related biotech research, has been instrumental in Assured Edge Solution’s continued growth,” said Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and President and CEO Eric Gertler in a statement. “Their collaboration is a great example of what can be achieved when our top-tier universities partner with New York state businesses.”
Assured Edge will move from its current location on the campus into a new building that will begin construction soon, officials said.
ESD is assisting Assured Edge with the expansion project with up to $150,000 through the Excelsior Tax Credit Program. Ontario County and Greater Rochester Enterprise Inc. also collaborated on the project. The total project cost for the relocation has been estimated at $201,000.
The expansion of the second building at the technology park is being supported by a $1.47 million federal EDA grant and a $500,000 Consolidated Funding Application round five grant from ESD; both incentives were awarded to the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park.
“We are very excited to be able to partner with Empire State Development to expand our operations as well as remain local here in the city of Geneva,” said Assured Edge President Dan Rao. “We identified the area’s need to have small to mid-size custom vegetable processing and co-packing capabilities and as a result, our company has grown significantly. We look forward to this next phase of growth.”
Assured Edge was founded in 2012 and produces custom ingredients and co-packs for a variety of customers. Operations range from raw ingredient processing to custom blend manufacturing. The company also partners to co-pack organic frozen vegetables for a major local retailer. Assured Edge has run the manufacturing operation at the technology park since 2017.
“As chairman of the Tech Farm Board and as the economic development director for Ontario County I am happy to learn of the state’s support for Assured Edge Solutions,” said Ontario County Industrial Development Executive Director Mike Manikowski. “AES, headed by its CEO Dan Rao, has been a tenant of ours for several years now. We welcome their growth and see them as an anchor tenant for Tech Farm 2. The innovative products that AES produces have added to the Finger Lakes agricultural bounty and provided good stable jobs for the city of Geneva and Ontario County. Working in partnership with the city, county and state, the Tech Farm continues to add new innovative ag, food and beverage businesses to our area.”
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