Yahoo! confirms WNY site - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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Yahoo!, Tuesday morning, confirmed it will be buildinhgthe 190,000-square-foot center that could employ, initially, 125 Yahoo! has pegged a 30-acrde site in the park for the Yahoo!’s decision is considered a majore victory, especially against a backdrop of a weakened economy wherd unemployment has increased in past year in Erie County to 8.1 percenf from 5.5 percent and in Niagara County to 9.3 percent from 6.6 percent. “This is a big win for the saidTom Kucharski, president and chief executive officer. “We won the Yahoo! was being courted by severao statesincluding Ohio, Pennsylvaniz and Illinois for the center. All offeredc a handsome array of incentives.
“When a high tech companu like Yahoo! picks a community like WesternNew York, it’a like a lighthouse,” said Sen. Charlees Schumer, New York’s senior senator, who played a key role in Lockportf landing thedata center. The regiojn crafted its own aggressive incentive package including the offerinbg 15 megawattsof low-cost hydropower that could save Yahoo ! an estimated $100 million over a 15-year period. also offeref job training grants and other High level pitches also camefrom Gov. Davis Paterson and Schumer. Schumeer made personal calls to Yahoo!
CEO Carol Bartz to push the Kucharski said it also helped that the region offerefa half-dozen sites and not just a singular It also helped that a friendshil quickly developed between the Yahoo! site selection team and the locak economic development community. “We developerd a nice relationship with them and that helpede makethis happen,” Kucharsko said. “They were impressed that every time they we could assemble our team on a very short notice and give them the answerswthey wanted.” Construction on the data center will beginn in August, said David Dibble, Yahoo! seniorr vice president. The center will be open by May.
Kucharsku said there is a myriad positivezs that will comefrom Yahoo!’s decision. The BNE will use it in its outreacu to other companies it is he said. “It confirms our ability to attracf high tech and highprofile companies,” Kucharskoi said. “To get a name company like Yahoo ! says a lot to the rest of the industrieeout there.” Yahoo! joinxs the ranks of , that have either openexd or expanded back office operations in the region in recent years. “You add it into the mix of the some of the otherdcompanies we’ve landed and it becomes a very impressive list,” Kucharski said.