On Monday, Urban Electric Power participated in a roundtable discussion on expanding export opportunities in Westchester County and the Lower Hudson Valley. The attendees included our Director of Operations, Ann Marie Scuderi, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of President Obama’s Export Council, Fred P. Hochberg, the chairman and president of the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of the United States, and Congresswoman Nita Lowey.
Senator Gillibrand highlighted the importance of the Elmsford, NY meeting:
“Our global economy is more connected now than it’s ever been, and competition can come from anywhere in the world. We need to make sure that businesses in Westchester County and the Lower Hudson Valley region have the resources and support they need to stay competitive. The Export-Import Bank can give Westchester’s businesses a strong head start when they want to sell their products to consumers in other countries. I’m very pleased that Fred Hochberg, the head of the Export-Import Bank, joined me today to meet with our local business and economic development leaders and help connect them to financing opportunities.”
The EXIM Bank is an independent, self-sustaining agency that has been supporting U.S. jobs by financing the export of American goods and services for the past 80 years. In just the last seven years, EXIM Bank has supported 1.4 million private-sector jobs, with 109,000 in 2015 alone. According to Hochberg, “New York is one of the most export-driven states in the nation. EXIM Bank is a tool for New York small business exporters to reduce risk and unleash opportunity to grow their businesses abroad while supporting well-paying jobs here in the state.”
In May 2016, UEP expanded into a 36,000 sq ft facility in Pearl River, NY, which will be an engine of green economic growth, accelerating the revival of manufacturing in New York State. The batteries produced in this facility will be used in the power-backup market in India and Latin America, strengthening the export potential of the Lower Hudson Valley.