ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — A task force could soon be created to address the consequences of the Sumitomo Rubber plant closure in Tonawanda.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz signed an executive order on Wednesday for the creation of the "Sumitomo Rubber Plant Closure Task Force." Per a statement from Erie County, the team would bring together representatives from different businesses to address the immediate, near- and long-term consequences of the facility’s closure.
“Erie County is prepared to take a leadership role with our partners in managing the future of the site, which is why I signed the executive order to create the Task Force to address all issues related to the closure of the facility,” Poloncarz said in a statement.
“The Task Force includes representatives from my administration, New York State, the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, the ECIDA’s Industrial Land Development Corporation, the Town of Tonawanda, Workforce Buffalo, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and several others. This is a strong collaboration of business and governmental partners with a focus on not only getting former Sumitomo employees into new jobs but also securing the best possible future for the site.”
The plant closure in Novemeber resulted in 1,550 employees losing their jobs.
“My economic development team has had multiple meetings with all stakeholders and went on a site tour on Dec. 4th to better assess the condition and future of the 130-acre site,” Poloncarz said in a statement.
“Industrial redevelopment has been a cornerstone of my administration, and we want to see this 101-year-old site put back into productive use as quickly and efficiently as possible. There are ongoing conversations and ideas in the works, and more information from Erie County and our partners will be shared in the coming weeks.”