Saratoga County

From an article by Paul Post, Community News, March 29, 2002

The diversity of Saratoga County's economy is its greatest strength. Retail, manufacturing, sports and recreation, tourism, agriculture, health, education and technology all make up important components of the area's economic lifeblood.

Saratoga County's farms grow and raise everything from llamas to Christmas trees. Dairy is the county's largest agricultural sector, with some farms numbering several hundred cows each.

The remainder of this decade could see a growth in the number and size of standard bred and thoroughbred (horse) farms, thanks to new gaming legislation allowing for video lottery terminals that will boost purses at New York State racetracks.

When it comes to manufacturing, local plants and factories turn out every good imaginable, from beer and ice cream to upscale automotive floor mats (at Racemark in Malta) and paper that's used for U.S. postage stamps.

The county's largest manufacturing employer is General Electric's Silicone Division in Waterford with about 1,400 union workers. Ball Corp. in Saratoga Springs makes aluminum cans for Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Anheuser Busch, while Serotta Bicycles in Moreau has manufactured bicycles used by the U.S. Olympic Team. QuadGraphics in Saratoga Springs prints Time, Sports Illustrated and People magazines on a regional basis.

Technology is perhaps the most exciting trend on the local employment scene where firms such as The Masie Center, Flow Management Technology, Systems 1 and Palio Communications have blossomed overnight, creating hundreds of quality jobs in the process.

Many young professionals are attracted to such companies by their competitive salary structure, good working environments and Saratoga county's exceptional quality of life issues.

In additional, virtually every local school district has upgraded its technology offerings in an effort to better prepare today's young people for the high tech challenges they'll be faced with later in life.

Thanks to modern  communication, people are able to live and conduct business from their homes in Saratoga County while actually being employed by large companies based throughout the metropolitan New York region.

If it can be grown, built or made, Saratoga County probably has it with links to an ever-expanding communications network that lets companies stay competitive in a rapidly-changing business world.

For some additional information: Saratoga County