According to a report by the United States and Canadian governments, the Port of Oswego has had over half a billion dollars in impact on the state economy since 2018.
“The port has experienced a renaissance in the last five years,” said William Scriber, executive director and CEO of the Oswego Port Authority.
Scriber believes that money made is owed to money spent.
“If you build it, they will come,” he said. “That was our motto. We have expanded our facilities to attract new customers and expand our existing customers.”
They definitely came. After the addition of new equipment, dock repairs, and some form of marketing, the Port of Oswego now accounts for 63% of business revenue, 49% of economic activity, and 43% of local purchases of New York’s Great Lakes ports.
“Of the three ports in the system in New York, we have the lion’s share,” Scriber said. “That’s over 51% of these areas.” Our economic contribution, our activity, our business model is proving to be very successful.”
The port has won the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award four of the last five years as international cargo tonnage between Great Lakes ports has increased. As Micron begins construction of its mega-factory in Clay next year, the port believes it is perfectly positioned to make an even bigger impact.
“It’s much cheaper and more environmentally friendly to transport large, heavy goods by water than by rail or truck,” he said. “This allows us to play a crucial role in the logistical change for Micron here in the port.”
Ultimately, the report reaffirms that the Port of Oswego is a powerhouse.
“I think it defines the market for the Port of Oswego as we make an important contribution to the overall economic viability of New York State,” Scriber said.
Scriber said they are in negotiations to buy more land in preparation for Micron. He thinks we could see that by the time the next report comes out, they will have a multi-billion dollar impact.
Comments are closed.