GOSHEN – The Orange County Industrial Development Agency Wednesday evening paved the way for Royal Wine Corporation to build a 623,000 square foot manufacturing and production facility along Route 17M and 6 ½ Station Road in the Town of Goshen by approving a financial incentive package.
That includes sales tax exemption on building materials, waiving the mortgage filing fee and a 15-year PILOT agreement.
All five members of the IDA board approved the plan.
Board Chairman Michael Torelli said the company that manufactures several brands of wine, spirits and juice, said Orange County was chosen because of its location, ability to distribute and manufacture, and the cost of doing business and its quality of life.
Board Member Susan Walski noted the Route 17M corridor in Goshen is currently under-utilized.
“If you go down it now, it looks a little pathetic in areas, so a nice project will really help that,” she said. “The other part is the eco-tourism. Orange County and half way over to Sullivan where they have Resorts World and everything, there are going to be more local dollars spent here, people bringing kids to Legoland, maybe staying a night or two there and they are going to check out the local areas, and this could be one place for them to come visit.”
Royal Wines plans to move its New Jersey facilities to Goshen along with part of its Kedem Wine operations from Marlboro.
The company expects to employ 120 people at the new plant within three years.
State Senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall) was opposed to the incentive package saying the 55 new jobs anticipated will cost $581,000 per job to create.
