Molinaro: “… retell and reshape
our story …”
POUGHKEEPSIE – The “Think Dutchess” rebranding marketing campaign has begun, County Executive Marcus Molinaro told the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.
Although the Think Dutchess campaign has existed conceptually since last year, it has now accomplished its goals of finalizing its mobile app, consolidating all economic development efforts within the county, dissolving the Dutchess Economic Development Corporation and initiating the Regional Economic Development Advisory Council as of last week, making it ready for the aggressive marketing component.
Molinaro unveiled the Think Dutchess marketing campaign.
“An effort to change perceptions outside and inside Dutchess County, retell and reshape our story so that people understand that Dutchess County is a remarkable place to live, work and raise a family, that we are competing aggressively with other parts of the state and other parts of the country and that we really invested in helping to ensure that every Dutchess County resident seeking a job, has a job opportunity and that we continue to grow the local economy,” said Molinaro.
The county executive said that the marketing tools available now are aggressively focused on specific industries and business clusters, namely data and aviation companies, while, at the same time, supporting the local existing businesses in the county. So far, the campaign has secured Hudson Valley Lighting, formerly of Newburgh, at the Dutchess County Airport commercial park; Fourth State Metals, an art and architecture installation manufacturer out of Brooklyn; and an unnamed aviation company, acquired due to the county’s privatization of the county airport.
According to Molinaro, a business such as Hudson Valley Lighting, for example, was ready to leave the state and thanks to the new campaign, was persuaded to stay, setting up their research and development facility, as well as their main facility, within 200,000+ square feet of Dutchess commercial space.
In addition to bringing in new businesses, the Think Dutchess campaign will also work to enrich local businesses by providing tools and resources through the county to help keep them competitive as well as improve them. Molinaro said the large majority of new jobs, emerging as a result of the campaign, will be coming from local existing businesses.
Currently, the Think Dutchess marketing campaign is being utilized at state and nationwide at conventions, as well as at business and site selector events. Molinaro said the county is dedicated to continuing their aggressive approach and improving the county’s economy.
