Andela Planning

$5M Development

Outside Richfield

Speaking To Chamber, Company Owner

Says IDA Site Leading Contender Of 3

By PATRICK WAGER • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

RICHFIELD SPRINGS – Andela Products, the glass recycling company, is planning to a $5 million business park on 55-acres south of the village and to increase its workforce by almost 50 percent, company President  Cynthia Andela told the Richfield Springs Chamber of Commerce tonight.

“We are a diamond in the rough.  We have the energy. We are next to the pipeline,” Andela told 30  people gathered in the Richfield Lanes bowling alley.  At another point, she added, “Richfield Springs could be a really nice place for progressive businesses.”

Andela Products recycles and pulverizes glass to be used in sandblasting.  Her second company, Ruby Lake Glass, uses colored pulverized glass to embed into streets to create “demarcated” highly visible bike lanes, bus lanes and crosswalks.  “The red bus lane in front of Trump Tower in New York City is ours.”

Andela told the story of how she won a $950,000 CFA grant.  “I took the plunge, did the planning and applied for a CFA and formed the development company, Crystal Mountain Properties.  It will be the company that develops the land and the facility, where my two companies, Andela Products and Ruby Lake Glass.”

The CFA grant will help defer the total project cost $5 million to acquire land and build a business park to house her two glass recycling companies, Andela Products and Ruby Lake Glass.

Andela said she is looking at three sites, but the 55-acre site owned by Otsego Now is the lead contender.  The land is just south of the Village between Route 28 and the Elm Street Extension.  Two issues with the site is that a Native American arrowhead making site and wetlands.  If built, the business park would not interfere with those areas.

Andela is excited to be able to stay and expand in Richfield Springs “because that’s where my businesses are.  We are growing and running out of space, so we need to be able to expand. I’d like to stay in Richfield Springs because this is where we are, where our work force is, and where I am.”

She currently has 20 full-time employees and when the companies expand under the CFA grant she will add another nine full timers.  She does add part timers seasonally as business increases during summer construction months.

“We need to begin this process now, even if we don’t move in for a year or two.”  Land acquisition details aren’t decided yet with Otsego Now and water and sewer lines are under discussion.

“Otsego Now encouraged us to look at the 55-acre site.  It’s a two-year process to look at the sites and then to begin the actual work.”

“The vision for us to build a 85-to-90,000 square feet so we have enough space for the two businesses and other businesses later.  It would be nice to have another recycling or green business there, but any businesses are fine.  The engineering and planning has been done for all the utilities.”