NEW WINDSOR ? Continental Organics plans to build a large plant here and create about 120 full-time jobs, the company and Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today.
Continental Organics has been housed at the Orange County Business Accelerator, also located here, where it developed its plans.
The company will specialize in organic produce, fish and fertilizer using aquaponics to grow food in a nutrient-rich solution rather than soil. The farm will also sell tilapia, a fish, and organic fertilizer. It will also lease an adjacent farm.
The state is awarding it a $6.2 million incentive package through the Empire State Development Corp.
Continental said it expects to invest $49.8 million in a five-year project that includes building 900,000-square-foot facility.
Continental Organics CEO Michael Finnegan was quoted in the governor?s press release: ?I believe that organic food is the future of food production, and I am thrilled to be able to bring it to the Hudson Valley. We spent the past year operating out of the offices of the Orange County Business Accelerator. They were incredibly helpful in getting us started. We were the first client of the new Orange County Business Accelerator, and now we are going to be the first business to graduate to a new home in Orange County. I want to thank Governor Cuomo and Orange County Executive Edward Diana for their steadfast support.?
The veteran-owned company will likely hire many service veterans, the statement said.
"Small and medium size businesses are key to getting the state?s economy back on track,? Cuomo said.
The statement did not indicate a schedule for the project.