FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PR- 046-04 March 03, 2004 MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES EXPANSION FOR BROOKLYN INDUSTRIAL COMPANY FEDERAL JEANS $20 Million In Projects Add Over 200 Jobs in the Bronx and Queens Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that Federal Jeans Inc., an importer, manufacturer and distributor of denim products, plans to build two new light manufacturing and warehouse distribution centers in the Bronx and Queens to complement its fast-growing business operations in Brooklyn. The company was designated to acquire and develop a 156,000-square-foot site in the Zerega Industrial Park in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx, and is working with the City to acquire a 270,000-square-foot parcel in Far Rockaway, Queens. These new facilities will create about 200 jobs in addition to the existing 100 jobs at its Brooklyn facilities. Federal Jeans President Yoram Moussaieff, Economic Development Corporation (EDC) President Andrew M. Alper, and Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Robert W. Walsh joined the Mayor for the announcement at Federal Jeans headquarters in the East New York Industrial Park. “Much of our company’s great success is a result of the cooperation and support we’ve gotten over the years from the City of New York,” said Federal Jeans President Moussaieff. “EDC’s maintenance and improvement programs make it easy to do business in the industrial parks. And EDC’s Real Estate Division has been invaluable in helping us find the right property for our expansion. It is good to know that we will be able to continue to grow and provide many new jobs for fellow New Yorkers.” “We’ve simplified our RFP process to make it easier for smaller industrial companies to submit proposals for City-owned sites,” said EDC President Alper. “And that effort has been very successful. The designation of Federal Jeans for the Bronx property is a direct result of the new streamlined industrial proposal process, and we expect to be making announcements about the distribution of a number of other industrial properties in the very near future.” “The expansion of Federal Jeans is an indicator of the strength of business districts throughout the City,” said SBS Commissioner Walsh. “The City supports more than 100,000 jobs through programs like In-Place Industrial Parks, Empire Zones and other publicly leveraged industrial programs and initiatives. This is another great example of how the Bloomberg Administration is working with the private sector to bring jobs to all five boroughs.” In Far Rockaway, Queens, the company plans to build a 150,000-square-foot light manufacturing and distribution facility on a 270,000-square-foot vacant lot located between Beach 77th and Beach 84th Streets, within the Rockaway Empire Zone and Arverne Urban Renewal Area, one of ten Empire Zones throughout the City managed by SBS. The company estimates the cost of this project at $10 million. Once completed, Federal Jeans anticipates employing nearly 70 workers in the Bronx and 130 in Far Rockaway. In addition, Bronx and Queens projects will create more than 150 jobs during construction. Committed to hiring from local communities, Federal Jeans is working with the Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation to develop a hiring program at the nearby Hammels Houses public housing community. The East New York Industrial Park is home to more than 70 businesses that employ about 2,000 workers in light manufacturing jobs. It is one of 11 industrial parks managed and maintained by the City. Zerega Industrial Park occupies 250 acres in the Bronx. It is home to more than 50 light manufacturing companies ranging from automotive and electronics to fuel oil distribution, with more than 3,000 employees. It is centrally located with access to Westchester County, Connecticut and upstate New York, as well as New Jersey, Queens and Long Island. MEDIA CONTACT: Edward Skyler / Jennifer Falk (212) 788-2958 Michael Sherman / Janel Patterson (EDC) (212) 312-3523 |
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