Manufacturing Month Offers Opportunity to Honor the Past — And Support the Future
October is National Manufacturing Month, and as we celebrate the sector in America’s 250th year, we should look beyond nostalgia and our past manufacturing glory. We must recognize that many things are made here in New York, and that advanced technologies represent the future. Policymakers now have an important role to play in reaffirming New York’s standing as a leader in industry and innovation.
Recent efforts bringing together smart policy at the state and federal levels — especially when it comes to rebuilding our domestic pipeline for semiconductor manufacturing —have tapped into Upstate and Western New York’s legacy of innovation. Our skilled workforce, research institutions, and manufacturing expertise are once again poised to power the next era of American innovation and reclaim our position on the global stage.
From optics and imaging to precision manufacturing, New York has developed and built revolutionary technologies used around the world — and beyond. When the Hubble Space Telescope’s initial images came back blurry, University of Rochester researchers helped pioneer the corrective lenses needed to fix the problem alongside engineers at Eastman-Kodak’s Apparatus Division.
The Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region is home to more than 1,500 manufacturing companies. They employ more than 60,000 people, representing roughly 12 percent of the local workforce. They make everything from transportation equipment, food and beverage products, and the advanced components that end up in devices used on every continent.
Four years after Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act, we are seeing what is possible when government, industry, and our academic institutions work together. By the end of this decade, an estimated one in four American-made semiconductors will be produced within 350 miles of Upstate New York. As Senator Chuck Schumer said in advocating for the legislation, the chips that power our industries, infrastructure, and defenses should be stamped “made in New York,” not “made in China.”
The CHIPS Act’s historic investments represent enormous opportunity not just for the companies making those semiconductors, but for the entire supply chain, forging a powerful economic engine that will support communities throughout the state.
That’s why I sponsored and championed the Green CHIPS Act in 2022. New York needed to be prepared to compete for major semiconductor investments and, just as importantly, build a sustainable supply chain around them. The communities along the I-90 corridor are poised to benefit as systems go online and complimentary industries set up shop.
The reality is New York needs policies that make it easier to invest, build, and hire here. That means preparing young people for career paths in manufacturing and offering access to the skills needed to enter a field that is rapidly becoming more technical. It means fortifying the grid and maintaining reliable and affordable power for energy-intensive research and development. It means supporting the universities, colleges, and institutions that transform ideas into economic activity. And it means recognizing that tax and procurement policies can make a real difference when it comes to supporting home-grown businesses, attracting capital investments, and competing with neighboring states.
These ideas have always informed my approach to policymaking. I’ve proposed restoring favorable tax treatment for businesses investing in necessary equipment, ensuring that public projects give American-made cement an edge in the competitive bidding process, and adopting innovative recycling technologies that will help manufacturers reach recycled-content goals. Public investments should create opportunities for New York-based employers. The MTA’s recent $257 million contract for 219 new buses, including a fleet of hybrid vehicles, showcases the bond between upstate industry and fulfilling the needs of New York City. The City’s transit demands will support work at BAE Systems in Endicott, Alstom in Hornell, and New Flyer in Jamestown, translating to more 1,000 good paying jobs.
This Manufacturing Month is a chance to recognize the people leading the charge as semiconductors, advanced optics, and emerging technologies reshape the sector, and the entire economy. It should also remind lawmakers that the work we do in Albany and Washington DC will directly influence whether the next generation of products and technologies are developed and manufactured here in New York, in another state, or elsewhere in the world.
We have the tools to reclaim our leadership in manufacturing. I’m dedicated to making sure New York has every opportunity to succeed.
Jeremy Cooney represents the 56th District in the New York State Senate and serves as chairman of the Transportation Committee.
Richard Turner serves as Executive Director of Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association.
