SCHENECTADY Firm heads to Cohoes, taking 40 jobs BY JAMES SCHLETT Gazette Reporter
The language translation company whose work force grew in the city from two to 40 workers over the last five years is preparing to move to Cohoes, where it expects to almost double in size over three years. In August or September, Lingualinx will move from Franklin Street to a historic mill on Remsen Street in Cohoes. The relocation comes after Lingualinx rejected Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority’s offers to keep the business in the city. “We decided to stay in the Tech Valley region, so we view that as a positive,” said Lingualinx President and Chief Executive Officer David Smith, who said he considered moving his company’s headquarters out of state. Smith moved Lingualinx to Schenectady in 2003, a year after founding it in New York City. The company translates everything from birth certificates to Web site content in over 150 languages. It has satellite offices in seven states, along with one each in the United Kingdom and China. In Cohoes, Lingualinx will occupy about 10,000 square feet in part of The Mohawk River Mills, which was built in 1855 and was once the world’s largest knitting mill. That location is twice the size of the space it occupied on the third and fifth floors of 650 Franklin St. Metroplex and the Schenectady building’s owner, Wade Lupe Properties, in November attempted to accommodate Lingualinx’s growth needs by consolidation its offi ces at 650 Franklin into a 10,500-squarefoot space on the fifth floor. Metroplex and the landlord offered to split the cost of relocating the building’s tenants, saving Lingualinx an estimated $57,000. They also offered the translation company a competitive 10-year lease rate of $12 per square foot plus utilities for the fi rst five years of the agreement and $13 per square foot plus utilities for the last five years, according to Metroplex. Lingualinx’s lease at 650 Franklin does not expire until Dec. 31, 2010. “We were offering to meet their growth by putting them on the fi fth floor,” said Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen. Despite those proposals, Smith opted to move Lingualinx 15 miles away, citing frustration with Schenectady officials and better parking and access to fiber optic connections in Cohoes. Gillen said access to Schenectady’s expansive fi ber network did not come up during lease negotiations with Lingualinx. “We didn’t approach Lingualinx. Lingualinx found a building they really wanted to be in,” said Cohoes Mayor John McDonald III. The move also will see the company jump from Schenectady’s Empire Zone to Cohoes’ zone, which offers businesses tax benefi ts in return for employment or capital investments. To aid Lingualinx with relocation costs, the Cohoes Local Development Corp. approved for the company a $15,000 forgivable loan, which it does not have to pay back if it remains in the city for at least five years. Lingualinx will grow strongly through mergers with rival translation companies, Smith said. The company last year absorbed Copper Translation Service in Gansevoort. By 2011, Smith expects Lingualinx to employ 70 people.
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Salvatore
June 28, 2008, 10:59am
Guest User
Well old Gillien says that the guy from this outfit here is a liar, or so he implies it when he said that "it never came up " I betcha that the firm got sick of panhandlers and bloods and crips and shootouts too.
You may be right in one aspect Sal, but I think the company is just 'tax benefit jumping'.
Quoted Text
The move also will see the company jump from Schenectady’s Empire Zone to Cohoes’ zone, which offers businesses tax benefi ts in return for employment or capital investments. To aid Lingualinx with relocation costs, the Cohoes Local Development Corp. approved for the company a $15,000 forgivable loan, which it does not have to pay back if it remains in the city for at least five years.
They sucked the taxpayer's money out of Schenectady for 5 years, now they'll jump to Cohoes to do the same. Keep a close watch on the other empire zone/metroplex businesses.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
see here this is the problemo when you have each local gov handing out the benefits to the smoothies that got their palm open wide like this. They shack up with whatever group or whatever that gives them the most dough, capice?
I *really* don't think that's the case with Lingualinx.
They've been NOT HAPPY with Lupe and the City for a couple years now. Problems with building management, unsafe physical environment (parking garage assault) led to their decision long before any economic $ they were benefitting from.
Money wasn't the only reason they were moving ... trust me
oh maybe that rape thing. Yeah today the employer might get sued too for having the employees is an 'unsafe' area, didnt think about that one. I did hear about the rape but I noticed they kept it kinda' quite at the gaxette.
oh maybe that rape thing. Yeah today the employer might get sued too for having the employees is an 'unsafe' area, didnt think about that one. I did hear about the rape but I noticed they kept it kinda' quite at the gaxette.
Ya, Kinda. It might spoil the downtown "image" if they reported anything "bad" - God forbid.
So does Lingualinx have to continue to pay their lease until 2010? And at least this company did follow the empire zone rules by going from 2 to 40 employees in 5 years. Good for them. And even though I feel that some of this is due to money, MT, you may be right about their frustration. Cause the article read -"citing frustration with Schenectady officials". It certainly appears that the Metroplex is failing. Lingualinx is moving out along with Sunmark. The Big House will eventually foreclose, I'd bet. Clinton's Ditch and Back Stage is up for sale too. The movie theater is hardly ever crowded. Crime is out of control.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
So does Lingualinx have to continue to pay their lease until 2010? And at least this company did follow the empire zone rules by going from 2 to 40 employees in 5 years. Good for them. And even though I feel that some of this is due to money, MT, you may be right about their frustration. Cause the article read -"citing frustration with Schenectady officials". It certainly appears that the Metroplex is failing. Lingualinx is moving out along with Sunmark. The Big House will eventually foreclose, I'd bet. Clinton's Ditch and Back Stage is up for sale too. The movie theater is hardly ever crowded. Crime is out of control.
The lease is in negotiations. They're willing to pay it even if they're not there, but negotiations with Lupe, I believe, are underway.
Yes, they absolutely did meet their EDZ requirements.
The "Big House" won't foreclose ... you gotta listen to Gillen - they didn't loan the money To the bighouse - it was an investment in the PROPERTY (and yes, there's probably a bridge in NYC for sale)
LOL - Bighouse - what a joke. All these characters should BE in the Big House
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