The Remarks Of Speaker Sheldon Silver

Beech-Nut Announcement

Town Of Florida Industrial Park, Florida, NY
Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver participates in the announcement of the Beech-Nut Corporation’s decision to move their headquarters to New York State from St.Louis, Missouri as well as the company’s plan to create 335 jobs to operate their new state-of-the-art food processing plant in Montgomery County. Silver joined (From Left) Governor Eliot Spitzer; Beech-Nut President and CEO Christoph Rudolf; Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas P. DiMezza; Stefan Heidenreich, CEO of Hero AG, Beech-Nut’s parent corporation; and Assemblyman Paul Tonko at the site of the future Beech-Nut food manufacturing facility in the Town of Florida.

Governor Spitzer. Lieutenant Governor Paterson. Assemblyman Tonko. Senator Farley.

Chairman DiMezza. Supervisor Strevy. Stefan Heidenreich. Christoph Rudolph. Jeff Heiser. Keith Chrisman. Members of the Media. Members of the Beech-Nut Family.

To our friends from Hero AG, I simply say "thank you" for keeping Beech-Nut here in Montgomery County … and for relocating your national headquarters right here.

Beech-Nut and the State of New York have been partners for more than a century. I can't say enough about what this company means to the working families of this county … not to mention what those high-quality Beech-Nut products have meant to the children of our Nation.

Building a prosperous, job-creating economy requires a number of factors, key among them being leadership and partnership. Today, we really celebrate the leadership of Governor Spitzer.

When business, labor and government share a common purpose, anything is possible.

Together, all of us are responsible for this victory.

I must, however, take a moment to acknowledge the persistence and the dedication of Montgomery County's own Assemblyman Paul Tonko.

Assemblyman Tonko (D-Amsterdam) explains the economic development assistance package New York State will provide to the Beech-Nut Corporation, a partnership that is expected to help revitalize the economies of communities throughout the Mohawk Valley Region.

As fate would have it, a month later, we were touring this county's flood-ravaged communities.

At the urging of Paul Tonko, the Assembly provided $3.85 million to help Beech-Nut repair the flood damage and upgrade its operations.

It was clear, however, that more needed to be done.

Together, with the Governor leading the way, we have a deal that encompasses both a state and a local commitment. We hammered out a deal that keeps Beech-Nut in Montgomery County, moves Hero's national headquarters here, and brings additional jobs and additional opportunity.

I am proud that Paul Tonko kept us involved in this issue, and I am proud to say that the Assembly is backing up this deal with an investment of $3 million.

This is our joint commitment to strengthen the economy of Montgomery County and all of the Mohawk Valley. From our farms to our suppliers to our processors to our wholesalers and retailers, we will make this State "number one" all along this important economic food chain.

We have the leadership in Governor Eliot Spitzer.

We have the partnership.

We have the commitment.

That's how we will build and rebuild the Upstate economy, together as partners.