Suffolk County

News July 25, 2017

Island unemployment rate inches higher

Long Island’s unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2 percent in June, rising 0.2 percentage points from a year ago as additional workers began looking for jobs. About 63,000 Long Islanders are seeking jobs, including 4,000 new hopefuls. Nassau County’s rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to 4.1 percent, while the Suffolk rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 4.3 percent. By comparison, New York State’s rate was 4.5 percent and the national rate was also…

Government October 21, 2016

Reaching out from LI’s only Foreign Trade Zone

By GREGORY ZELLER // With a fresh deal and room to grow, Long Island’s only designated Foreign Trade Zone is in expansion mode. The 52-acre Ronkonkoma industrial park – officially known as Islip Foreign Trade Zone No. 52 – contains three undeveloped parcels. They’re each under 4 acres, but collectively could accommodate some 120,000 square feet of additional professional space. So, with 35 different companies filling the zone’s 14 existing buildings to capacity, Brad Hemingway’s…

News May 5, 2016

Suffolk projects snag agriculture grants

Three Suffolk County projects are among 20 statewide efforts receiving funding this week from the New York Farm Viability Institute. Through a competitive bidding process, the institute’s volunteer board of directors funded a cross-section of statewide agricultural efforts based on factors including relevance, budget and “farm-level impact,” the institute said in a statement. All told, the institute doled out more than $1.6 million through its 2016 grant program. Included in that total is more than…

Economic Development September 13, 2015

Suffolk in line for $388M sewer project

Consider it a silver lining to some of Long Island’s darkest clouds. In what’s being proffered as a response to the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy, $388 million in state and federal funds will flow into Suffolk County to expand sanitary service to over 8,000 parcels of land currently utilizing on-site septic systems. The coastal resiliency initiative, approved by FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, is a major victory for lawmakers and activists who have…

Clean Energy August 2, 2015

In the hunt for energy efficiency, Suffolk considers better blinds, even vertical wind

By GREGORY ZELLER // With a national pat on the back and upstate officials taking notes, Suffolk County’s long-term energy strategy is generating real buzz – loudest on Long Island, where Suffolk is becoming a proving ground for innovative energy tech. The honors first. Suffolk’s Energy Initiatives Working Group has received a 2015 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties, one of two the county received for resiliency, infrastructure and sustainability. The other went…

Economic Development June 16, 2015

In Suffolk, a call for an innovation connection

By GREGORY ZELLER // The ambitious master plan Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone unveiled Tuesday – new public transportation options linking Suffolk’s burgeoning downtowns and major research centers – has plenty of regional support. But even ardent backers can’t ignore the project’s estimated price tag. Bellone’s sweeping plan, dubbed the Long Island Innovation Zone, includes a dedicated rapid-transit bus lane running from Stony Brook University to the Village of Patchogue that parallels a new hiking/biking…

Economic Development April 28, 2015

Bellone kicks off economic development conference

Suffolk County doesn’t lack the transformative ideas that could position it for an innovation economy, but it has so far lacked the regional coordination that has been the hallmark of successful new economies elsewhere, County Executive Steve Bellone said Tuesday. Bellone, kicking off an economic development conference at Stony Brook University, challenged Long Island leaders at all levels of government to work together to keep young Long Islanders here and attract their counterparts from other…

Startups April 14, 2015

Startup House founder at Suffolk inventor’s meetup

Shmulik Shahar, founder of the Seed Startup House, discusses software and app development at the Suffolk County Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club, April 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. Shahar has almost 20 years experience as a team leader, software R&D manager, CTO and CEO for companies large, small and starting up, both international and domestic. He holds a BA in computer science from the Open University in Israel. The meeting will be held in the Media…