Otsego County Chamber Discusses the Future of Business in the County

Otsego County residents involved in everything from education to health care gathered to discuss the upcoming year, and express their concerns from their own businesses.  "We're a knowledge-based company and our number one issue is, frankly, the lack of really experienced business people for employment in the area," says Alan Kleinman, CEO/founder of Kleinman Performance partners.

"The most important one for us is the continued support from the state for higher education," says President of SUNY Oneonta.

"We've been fighting fracking in this economy and making the case that fracking is job killing," says Oneonta County for the 8^th District.

They were there to speak with and listen to what the area politicians have to say about current issues.  While those issues varied, everyone has the same goal in mind--economic growth.

"The biggest concern is we have thousands of students that come to Oneonta and Otsego County every year and leave," says Kleinman.

The invited politicians were very much on the same page as those who attended the luncheon agreeing that they need to continue to work to make New York State a more pleasant place to do business to keep people in the area.  "We're trying to change the perception that New York is a business unfriendly state," says Assemblyman Marc Butler, "The economy and structure of New York State needs to be overhauled and re-done we need to cut the taxes we need to create jobs."

"I am going to be meeting in each of my counties, Herkimer County, Otsego County," says Senator James Seward, "with economic development officials to make that we identify what are the obstacles for job growth in the area and lets remove those obstacles."