Concerns over the future of Welch Allyn after an acquisition last year may have eased somewhat Wednesday with an announcement from Governor Andrew Cuomo at the company’s Skaneateles headquarters.
"Welch Allyn, Hill-Rom are not only retaining the 900 jobs, we’re going to add 100 more new jobs to Welch Allyn,” Cuomo said to applause.
The announcement comes after Hill-Rom made the decision to lay off 50 Welch Allyn employees last year. But Empire State Development Chairman Howard Zemsky says after the community expressed fear about possible additional cutbacks, he spoke with Cuomo to make sure this had a positive outcome.
"We talked about how many people work here and I said, 'You know, Syracuse and Central New York have a long history of companies being acquired and being reduced or relocated.' And he just looked at me and he said, 'Howard, that’s just not happening.'”
County Executive Joanie Mahoney says as a lifelong Central New Yorker, she knows first-hand what WelchAllyn means to the region.
"I think the reason this story is different is in large part because you’re irreplaceable," Mahoney told the hundreds of employees gathered for the announcement. "It’s not possible to take Welch Allyn somewhere else because this is Welch Allyn, you are Welch Allyn.”
The company will invest more than $4.2 million, along with $12 million dollars in state incentives to create the jobs. Welch Allyn President Alton Shader says it’s proof that they want to stay and grow.
"I’d hope people understand we want to invest here in Skaneateles Falls, we want to invest in Welch Allyn, and the incentives are there to ensure we live up to our commitment.”
Shader says although plans are still in the works, there will be jobs within many different parts of the company, from marketing to research and development. He says the hope is to them in place over the next two years.
