Dilan visits East Williamsburg plant to tout tax credits

State senator joins Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul for tour

December 16, 2016 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Lt. Gov. Katherine Hochul and state Sen. Martin Malavé Dilan (right) discuss the benefits of the state’s Excelsior tax credit program with representatives of Voodoo Manufacturing Inc. Photo courtesy of Dilan’s office

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An East Williamsburg manufacturing plant that specializes in 3-D printing is the latest example of a business that has prospered under New York state’s ambitious Excelsior Program, according to a local lawmaker who accompanied Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul on a tour of the facility on Dec. 15.

State Sen. Martin Malavé Dilan and Hochul visited Voodoo Manufacturing Inc., a plant at 361 Stagg St. on Thursday.

“Voodoo Manufacturing is living proof that good ideas and hard work lead to success, and there is no shortage of either in Brooklyn,” said Dilan (D-Bushwick-parts of Williamsburg, Greenpoint).

Voodoo Manufacturing Inc. received $200,000 in Excelsior Program tax credits this year to help mitigate the costs of hiring additional workers, the purchase of new equipment and the expansion of its factory. The $2.5 million expansion is expected to be completed in 2017.

Founded in 2015, Voodoo Manufacturing Inc. currently employs 11 workers and has worked with more than 225 companies on projects ranging from developing promotional materials to creating highly functional parts. Its project partners include Lowe’s Stores, which is working to provide customers with on-site scanning of parts in need of replacement.

“With their planned expansion next year, Voodoo will be creating dozens of good-paying jobs and more than 100 indirectly. I commend Gov. Cuomo and Lt. Gov. Hochul for committing the necessary resources to ensure that this homegrown company can continue on its path to success,” Dilan said.

The Excelsior Program was created to replace the state’s Empire Zones program, which expired in 2010. The Excelsior tax credits are specifically designed to encourage growth industries like clean tech, broadband, information systems, renewable energy and biotechnology to relocate to New York state or expand their base of operations in the state, according to the New York State Economic Development Council.

The tax credits are available to allow the businesses to create jobs or make significant capital investments.

Manufacturing plants are eligible for the program if they agree to create at least 10 new jobs. Software development companies and scientific research firms must be willing to create at least five new jobs.

Dilan, a Democrat, has served as a state senator since 2002. His district, the 18th Senate District, includes parts of several Brooklyn neighborhoods, such as Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Cypress Hills, City-Line, East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Brownsville.

For more information on the Excelsior Program, visit the New York State Economic Development Council’s website at nysedc.org.