FISHKILL – Ten days before
Black Friday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered a rousing pep talk to dozens
of Gap employees still working to recover from a devastating fire that
destroyed a portion of their huge distribution center in Fishkill two
months ago.
Cuomo spoke to about 200 gathered in the huge warehouse
“When things are at their worst, that’s when New Yorkers are at their best,” Cuomo proclaimed, noting the determination of about 1,500 and company officials to rebound, with no one losing a job.
Proof of Cuomo’s observation came from Jim Young, vice president and general manager of the Gap’s distribution center, who said that five weeks ago, barely a month after the fire, shipments began leaving the facility and the volume is increasing each week.
“While it hasn’t been easy, and believe me, not just here but across the entire Gap network, this has been a big strain, I’ve got to say we’re not going to miss a beat for our holiday shoppers this season,” Young said.
That is further proof for Cuomo that anything is possible when New Yorkers come together.
“People put together, put aside, their political differences, and their regional differences and work together and the employees for Gap came together like one united family that needed to come together rebuild the house for the good of the family, and you did it. Congratulations.”
Cuomo also related how, long before the fire when Gap was shopping around for other places to locate the facility, and considered Tennessee, they chose to stay put, in part because of what the governor touted as an improving climate for business in New York State and a $2.65 million grant to rebuild.
