Lucas Irace: Advancing Orange County’s Industrial Future from Day One

Lucas Irace, Director of Business Attraction & Development

From the moment I joined the Orange County Partnership, I was immersed in high-level projects and hit the ground running. We’ve seen strong activity across industry sectors, with common themes emerging as access to labor, logistics costs, and infrastructure capacity.

We feel strong momentum in the market, and remain deeply committed to our mission: to attract, retain, and expand industries in Orange County. Two projects have kept us particularly busy this summer:

• Project Dairy – recently confirmed as Balchem – holds special local significance. With roots in Orange County dating back to 1967, Balchem has grown into a globally recognized, publicly traded company. Over the past two years, our team has worked closely with the site selection team for Project Dairy, focusing on site identification, infrastructure validation and speed-to-market efficiencies. Last week, Balchem received their incentive package from the Orange County IDA – a critical project milestone - and continues to advance through local processes in the Town of Wallkill. Business attraction often dominates the headlines in the economic development world – however, business retention and expansion are the backbone of local economic development growth. This project strengthens our position as a strong location for advanced food & beverage innovation, retains local high-quality jobs, and represents a $36-million investment.

• Project Maverick, very recently confirmed to be Garonit Pharmaceutical, marked another major milestone. Garonit represents a leap forward in our efforts to attract advanced manufacturing. Their production of antiseptic pharmaceutical products will be the largest in the world, creating 100 new jobs and generating a $46-million investment. Garonit’s arrival also positions us to recruit additional companies in this high-value sector.

Beyond these individual projects we are actively working on requirements in the logistics, distribution, and research & development industries. With proximity to three major interstate highways offering direct access to the Northeast Corridor and key markets, a robust labor pool supported by an average commute time of just 35 minutes, and a proven ecosystem of reputable companies, Orange County is emerging as a strategic location for industrial operations in the Northeast.

Advanced manufacturing and R&D are increasingly identifying Orange County as an ideal base of operations. Growth in these sectors brings higher-wage jobs, strengthens our economy, and diversifies our industrial base, and is deeply connected to the strategic economic development approach of the Orange County Partnership.

Another trend shaping our economic landscape is focused on dynamic investment in housing in Middletown, Newburgh, and Port Jervis. While housing is not traditionally considered a direct driver of economic development, it is becoming a familiar variable brought up as major industrial projects advance. A growing workforce will require accessible and abundant housing to sustain momentum in industry growth and attraction.

Orange County is at a pivotal moment in its growth. We are
committed to championing the emerging sectors that will shape our future, and
to ensuring that growth is both sustainable and impactful. I look forward to working with strategic partners and local leaders to help position our communities for economic development success.