Schumer gets Crosman to keep jobs local

U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer has secured a commitment from the new owners of Crosman Corp. to keep 300 jobs in Ontario County and consider a long-term expansion of the company, to be based in the Finger Lakes Region.

The commitment came after Schumer asked Greg Feldman, managing partner of Wellspring Capital, to commit to keeping the employees at work in the current plants. Feldman said Wellspring decided to invest in Crosman Corp. because they believe in the company’s potential, and would consider expanding the company locally in the next few years.

Schumer is optimistic that Wellspring’s investment will help Crosman continue its recent local growth. In 2010, Ontario County and New York State provided $600,000 in incentives in support of Crosman to help them expand and modernize their local Ontario County facility. As a result, Crosman actually “in-sourced” by moving production it was doing in China back to East Bloomfield, helping to save 50 local jobs.

Crosman employs 306 workers in Ontario, up from 210 workers just a few years ago. The primary manufacturing site is in the town of East Bloomfield, but they also opened a 20-employee distribution center in Farmington.

Crosman Corp. is the county’s 10th largest non-government employer.