Leadership Orange Explores Economic Development in Action Across Orange County

Leadership Orange class touring WCR Window Cleaning Resource in the Town of Goshen.

Leadership Orange participants got a firsthand look at how economic development happens on the ground during their dedicated session on Wednesday, April 8th. The day brought together public and private sector leaders, offering a behind-the-scenes perspective on the projects, partnerships, and planning shaping Orange County’s future.

Representatives from the Orange County Partnership and Orange County Economic Development, Conor Eckert and Steve Gross, provided an overview of their roles in supporting business attraction, retention, and expansion. The discussion included an interactive dialogue with participants, gathering perspectives on current projects and opportunities across the county.

The group then headed out into the field to see economic development in action. First stop: WCR Window Cleaning Resource (Project Crystal) in the Town of Goshen. As a growing supplier and manufacturer of professional window cleaning products, WCR represents the type of homegrown business the county is committed to supporting. Participants toured the facility and heard directly from leadership about their growth and operations.

Next, the group visited the STEAM Rail & Business Park site in the Village of Maybrook. Conor Eckert and Steve Gross shared plans for the six-pad development, which will accommodate buildings ranging from 60,000 to 400,000 square feet. With trees being cleared and site work underway, attendees were able to see early progress on the project, made possible in part by a $26 million FAST NY grant helping to advance shovel-ready infrastructure.

The final stop brought participants to the future home of Garonit Pharmaceuticals. Standing on-site, Conor Eckert shared the story behind the project’s attraction to Orange County, detailing a highly competitive, multi-state effort that ultimately succeeded through strong public-private collaboration, strategic positioning, and engagement at the highest levels of government.

The day underscored a key takeaway: economic development is a team effort. From planning and infrastructure to incentives and execution, it takes alignment across sectors to turn vision into reality, and Leadership Orange participants experienced that process firsthand.