A local business will stay in Cortland, thanks to help from state and local funding sources.
Cortland Line Company, a manufacturer of fishing equipment, was on the verge of being sold to an Australian distribution company that would have moved production offshore.
State Sen. James Seward, whose district covers Cortland County, helped secure $150,000 in funding from Empire State Development Corporation, while the Cortland County Business Development Corporation pitched in another $50,000 grant.
“This type of business partnership can make a real difference,” Seward said. “Without the coming state funding, these jobs could very well have been lost here in Cortland, and Cortland Line would no longer be in Cortland.”
John Wilson, executive manager for Cortland Line, says incentives offered by local and state agencies were enough to keep the company in Cortland.
“With mounting pressure from foreign competitors, it is clear that to remain competitive we must me leaner, faster, and smarter in order to grow and survive,” Wilson told a crowd of business leaders gathered at the company’s headquarters on Kellogg Road.
The funding will allow the company to keep its 22 employees, with plans to add 8 more workers, Wilson said.
Cortland Line, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year, has seen some recent struggles.
The company announced last month that it will close its factory store, located in the Riverside Plaza in Cortland, on April 15.
