The COVID-19 crisis accelerated and intensified the need by many regional businesses to develop strategies to both replace lost revenues and pursue new opportunities for growth. In many cases the changes in the economy led to innovation and several incumbent companies in our region began focusing on “business building and repositioning.” Three Rivers and the Steuben County IDA recognized the importance of assisting regional companies to prioritize business building to enable them to grow faster than their peers and respond with greater resilience to volatility and economic shocks in the future. Three Rivers and SCIDA jointly launched a Business Recruitment, Retention, Repositioning and Expansion (BRR&E) initiative in support of these businesses seeking to pursue innovative business models, products, and services to meet the threats and opportunities of this changing economy.

Established in 2016, the Corning Housing Partnership is a public/ private partnership between the City of Corning, Corning Enterprises, Three Rivers Development Foundation, and Arbor Housing and Development. Three Rivers functions in an administrative role and also a strong community advocate. The overall goal is to transform neighborhoods and increase property values by investing in housing rehabilitation projects.

Resources:
View the 2020 Corning Housing Partnership Four-Year Analysis
Corning Housing Partnership Profile Film

The I-86 Corridor region comprising Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties has an abundance of job opportunities available that have been difficult to satisfy for any number of reasons, the pandemic obviously being a major factor. Three Rivers and its many partners are eager to jumpstart employment in the region as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to the broader population. Three Rivers is taking the lead working in collaboration with CSS Workforce New York, regional planning and economic development agencies, Corning Community College, BOCES and municipal officials to understand the factors and barriers impacting unemployed and underemployed residents and eventually developing messaging strategies to increase workforce participation by taking advantage of the many tools and programs available and becoming actively engaged in the job search process.

Resources:
Chemung-Schuyler-Steuben Integrated Workforce Development Strategy Executive Summary 2018
Integrated Workforce Development Strategy 2018
Education and Training Asset Inventory 2018

Three Rivers initiated a quality-of-life messaging campaign to communicate to prospective talent what our region has to offer for those who live here. This has been implemented using social media and by creating a dedicated website at SoFLX.com

Created as a tool for employers, SoFLX also provides a valuable resource for the region’s economic development agencies and chambers of commerce to supplement their business attraction and retention efforts. The site targets individuals being actively recruited outside of this region for available positions, those who know the region and are open to either new employment opportunities or have geographic flexibility in their current position, and individuals outside this region with jobs that allow remote work and may be interested in seeking a geographic change. Social Medial integration with SoFLX on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the dedicated blog, SoFLX Stories is designed to tell the story from a more personal perspective with photography and individual experiences shared through commentary and interviews.

Additionally, Three Rivers engaged East Shore Marketing to generate a digital campaign in the Philadelphia metro area to build awareness of the Southern Finger Lakes as an area that offers abundant career opportunities within a region offering a rich quality of life. Careers in Health Care, IT, and Engineering were highlighted, and the campaign successfully increased SoFLX brand awareness and website traffic from the campaign geographical target area. In partnership with Finger Lakes Wine Country and The Gaffer District, Three Rivers again used East Shore Marketing to create a geofence campaign during the Wine Glass Marathon, directing participants and event goers to enjoy local and regional assets, vacation in the Finger Lakes, and consider relocation. Finally, launching during the Parade of Lights, Three Rivers wrapped windows on Market Street with SoFLX Stories, promoting relocation into the region and including multiple QR code links to SoFLX.com as a way to capitalize on individuals visiting the area during the holiday season. These various efforts successfully marketed to potential relocation demographics on both a large and small scale; Three Rivers will be continuing and expanding these efforts moving forward.

Resources:
Quality of Life Overview

Prior to joining Three Rivers, consultant Susan Payne collaborated with HUNT Engineers to develop an economic development strategy for the Village of Bath. Three Rivers continues to collaborate with agencies such as Steuben County IDA to actively support the Village as it proceeds with implementation of its economic development action plan. The Village is positioned to leverage its proximity to the I86 corridor, status as the Steuben County seat, gateway and a proximity to the many activities and tourism destinations surrounding Keuka Lake area.

Resources:
Village of Bath Economic Development Strategy 2020 Summary
Village of Bath Economy Development Strategy 2020 Full Report
Village of Bath Investment Prospectus 2021