Leaders from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) visited a Flushing-based glass processing company last week to discuss their ongoing partnership and celebrate a recent expansion spurred by a state economic development program.
While Tempco Glass Fabrication does not create glass, it is a one-stop shop for glass tempering, lamination, cutting and seaming before it reaches homes and businesses across the city.
Last year, Tempco underwent a $1.4 million expansion that significantly increased the size and capabilities of its warehouse while adding 15 jobs. Now, they are considering adding additional truck routes to reach customers further in New England and continue improving their operations to meet demands with sustainability and innovation in mind.
Its president, Johnson Chen, said that the growth of his family-owned business would not be possible without a NYPA program that drastically reduced energy costs. He recounted that when they started in 2013, their ConEdison bill was approximately $40,000-$50,000 each month.
“As we grew, NYPA grew with us and helped us in this process. It’s difficult to quantify the value in this relationship,” said Chen after he and his team led NYPA leaders on a tour of the facility.
NYPA says that its ReCharge NY program supports 23 firms across Queens with lower-cost power partly generated by its two hydroelectric power plants near the Canadian border. The other half of the power it provides companies is purchased by them wholesale, making it more affordable for the over 700 businesses they work with across the state.
“For some of these small and medium-sized businesses, their energy supply can make or break their profitability,” NYPA President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll explained after the tour. “We can make a big difference and have a big impact.”
To be eligible for the program, companies make one or more commitments to remain in the state, keep or grow their workforce and invest in their operations. If a company does not deliver on its initial promise, it will be asked to pay back a percentage of energy costs following an audit.
The partnership began in 2019 when Tempco was awarded 286 kilowatts (kW) of ReCharge NY power, allowing them to allocate $1.1 million in private capital investments and retain 55 jobs. Last year, NYPA awarded Tempco 340 kW for the most recent expansion, which made the purchase of cutting-edge glass processing equipment possible.
During the tour, Chen explained the glass tempering process involving lamination, similar to pressure cooking, and break tests to meet safety requirements. He explained that while the architectural market shifts toward sustainability, the old-fashioned, in-person customer service way of doing business has not changed.
Tempco prides itself on having a space where customers can place orders in person and form relationships with staff. While they have a domestic glass supplier, customers can also bring in their own glass to be tempered.
“We have the demand in terms of our customer base. It’s about us just ensuring that we can keep up with pace and staying ahead of the curve in terms of our capabilities,” said Chen.
NYPA estimates that delivering nearly 10 megawatts of low-cost power across its Queens partners supports more than 8,700 jobs in the borough. Across the state, they say the economic development initiative is tied to 416,000 jobs.
Leaders from NYPA visit facilities in the Recharge NY program on a quarterly basis to see and hear about the program’s impact in person. They are often pleased to hear stories of growth and innovation powered by clean hydropower facilities powered by the mighty Niagra and St. Lawrence Rivers in upstate New York.
“Often you’re so busy with work in the office that sometimes you don’t realize the impact that that our work has, and to see it in action here is really rewarding,” said Driscoll.
