SOUTHWEST BROOKLYN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

AS WE HAVE SINCE 1978, SBIDC HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ENSURE THAT THE INDUSTRIAL CORE OF SOUTHWEST BROOKLYN REMAINS STRONG AND THAT IT REMAINS A CENTER OF OPPORTUNITY FOR WORKERS THROUGHOUT THE AREA. OUR UNIQUE COMBINATION OF DIRECT BUSINESS SERVICES, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING, ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING, COMMUNITY PLANNING AND REVITALIZATION, AND ADVOCACY HELPED BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT SOUTHWEST BROOKLYN THRIVE IN A MARKET AND A CITY THAT CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR MANUFACTURERS AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL BUSINESSES. CHALLENGES INCLUDE A COMPETITIVE REAL ESTATE MARKET THAT PRIORITIZES RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL TENANTS OVER INDUSTRIAL ONES; SUPPLY CHAIN CHALLENGES; RISING COSTS OF DOING BUSINESS IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT; AND A COMPETITIVE LABOR MARKET.SINCE JULY 2024, SBIDC SUPPORTED OVER 200 INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYERS SEEKING HELP WITH COMPLEX FINANCING PROGRAMS, NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, RECRUITING EMPLOYEES, NAVIGATING GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS, AND LARGE-SCALE REZONING PROPOSALS IN BROOKLYN. SBIDC OFFERS BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING FOCUSED ON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AND FINANCIAL GROWTH. IN 2025, SBIDC ALSO LAUNCHED A NEW PROGRAM CALLED WE SOURCE, WHICH AIMS TO CONNECT LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES TO OPPORTUNITIES IN THE OFFSHORE WIND SECTOR AND LARGER GREEN ECONOMY. AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, WE ARE PROVIDING 20 FIRMS WITH DIRECT PROCUREMENT ASSISTANCE AND 40 HOURS EACH OF BUSINESS CONSULTING SUPPORT SPECIFIC TO THE GREEN ECONOMY AND OFFSHORE WIND SECTOR. IN ADDITION TO OUR NEW PROGRAMS, WE ALSO OFFERED TWO SEMESTERS OF OUR PLAN FOR GROWTH BUSINESS EDUCATION COURSE, AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM THAT HELPS MWBES AND DBES CREATE A PLAN FOR GROWTH. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED COURSES ON MARKETING, FINANCING, CHART OF ACCOUNTS, CUSTOMER DISCOVERY, AND MORE. WE GRADUATED 40 BUSINESSES FROM THESE PLAN FOR GROWTH COHORTS. TO DATE, THE PROGRAM HAS GRADUATED OVER 160 BUSINESS OWNERS. WE ALSO HOSTED FOUR WEBINARS ON CREDIT COUNSELING AND ACCESSING FINANCING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. FINALLY, WE HOSTED TWO LARGE NETWORKING EVENTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. SBIDC'S WORKFORCE 1 CENTER INCLUDES A STAFF OF FOUR FULL-TIME WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS. OUR JOB DEVELOPERS HELPED PLACE 180 PEOPLE IN FULL TIME INDUSTRIAL JOBS THIS YEAR. OUR CAREER SERVICES MANAGER AND RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST SAW OVER 1000 CUSTOMERS, HELPING THEM WITH CAREER COUNSELING, RESUME BUILDING, AND REFERRALS TO WRAP AROUND SERVICES. THE TEAM ALSO PLACED 182 PEOPLE IN FULL-TIME INDUSTRIAL JOBS. SBIDC CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR THE INDUSTRIAL WORKING WATERFRONT. WE JOINED THE BROOKLYN MARINE TASKFORCE TO ADVOCATE FOR MARITIME INDUSTRY THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS ZONE. WE ALSO INCREASED OUR REAL ESTATE ASSISTANCE SERVICES, HELPING TWO SMALL MANUFACTURERS LOCATE IN A NEW INDUSTRIAL BUILDING IN GOWANUS.