Week in Review: August 31 – September 4, 2020

Stay up-to-date on business and economic development happenings in the Capital Region with the CEG Economic Development Week in Review. Don’t miss out on the developments that are transforming the region by following us on:

REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Trent Griffin-Braaf starts logistics transportation company, partners with Amazon

“the worst weeks of the pandemic, Trent Griffin-Braaf considered shutting down Tech Valley Hospitality Shuttle entirely.

“Do I even try to keep this thing going, or just wrap up shop?” he recalls thinking to himself in the spring as contracts with schools and colleges fell away. Just a couple months earlier, in February, the company had seen its highest sales ever.”

1st Playable Productions on track to finish 30 games in 4 years

“The Troy video game development studio 1st Playable Productions has finished 28 games since 2017, and the plan is to finish a couple more before this year is over.

Much of the team of about 16 people is currently working on the final phase of a cooking-related game, said Tobi Saulnier, founder and CEO of 1st Playable.”

Manufacturers pump millions into region’s economy with payroll — and new investments

“The top manufacturers in the region are responsible for thousands of jobs that pump more than a billion dollars into the local economy.

There were close to 40,000 manufacturing jobs in the 11-county greater Capital Region last year. Just the top three on The List, GE, Regeneron and GlobalFoundries, collectively have around 10,000 employees in the region.”

Apple crop is ‘outstanding’ and ‘phenomenal’ this year

“The apples at Borden Orchards were spared from a tornado that touched down less than two miles away a week ago. The orchard also managed to avoid a hail storm that pelted the area this summer.

The orchard’s farm store on Valley Falls Road in Easton is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day and offers 25 varieties of apples, including McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Empire and Cortland.”