Empire Farmstead Brewery to operate tax-free in START-UP NY program, create 52 jobs

CAZENOVIA, N.Y. — Empire Farmstead Brewery, Inc., a division of Syracuse–based Empire Brewing Company, is among 11 businesses that are either starting under or expanding under the START-UP NY program.

The START-UP NY program creates tax-free areas associated with colleges and universities across the state to try to spur economic growth.

The office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the new companies’ involvement in a news release issued Wednesday.

Most of the other businesses have operations in Rochester, Buffalo, and on Long Island, according to the release.

Empire Brewing, headquartered at 120 Walton St. in Syracuse’s Armory Square area, is a brewer of handcrafted ales and lagers.

The company is investing $5.9 million in the project, which will create 52 net new jobs, the governor’s office said.

The 28,000-square-foot facility is located on a 22-acre property on Route 13 in Cazenovia, according to the Empire Brewing website.

The Empire Farmstead Brewery, a stand-alone manufacturing and agri-tourism facility, represents an expansion of the company’s existing brewing facility, the company said.

The project is a partnership with Morrisville State College, which is sponsoring the tax-free area. The college is implementing a new brewing-studies program and will work directly with Empire to manage the facility and educate students with first-hand, practical business experience in production brewing.

Beer manufactured at the brewery will be packaged in kegs, bottles and cans for regional and international distribution.

Empire Farmstead Brewery, Inc. isn’t the only company that will operate tax-free in partnership with Morrisville State College.

K16 Corporation is a new technology-device and software-development firm focused on developing technology-based products in teaching methods.

K16 has plans to operate in space on the Morrisville State College campus and to create two net new jobs and invest $10,000, according to Cuomo’s office.

The latest group of companies joining the program brings the total number of businesses participating in START-UP NY to 83, representing commitments to create more than 2,530 new jobs and invest more than $133 million in communities throughout the state, Cuomo’s office said.